Sanguine Testamenti: The 12 Deadly Trials
by Spartan-Tea Party
Summary: An unlikely group of campers are brought together by the gods, to compete in twelve deadly challenges; each of them more perilous than the last! There will be secrets, friendship, betrayals and romance. Takes place after TLO. Read and Review!
1. Learning of the Challenges

**Author's note: Well, I'll be a Spartan's uncle; I got this done faster than I thought I would**. **4,212 words and that's just the first chapter—aren't you proud? ****Eh, but enough of that; I just wanted to thank EVERYONE for characters, and even though I was going to split them up and use them for other stories; not all of my decisions are set in stone. **

**Okay, so the characters I used in this chapter right here are:**

_**Jessup Doyle by Spartan-TeaParty (me), Stephanie Anderson by Starfan1245, Atlanta Hunter by**__**DuskLightening, Kyle Anderson by**__**Neon Templar**__, __**Zoe Hutton by**__**artemishunter77, Katie Knapp by GoGreen216, and last; but, not least, Matthew Ross by Smartone101!**__**I truly owe you guys, and if **__**'thank you's'**__** were flowers, I'd give you guys bouquets! THANK YOU!**_

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><p>Whether it was the early morning, or the late afternoon, Stephanie was too exhausted to tell. She had been on her feet non-stop for atleast twelve hours; in a vain attempt to keep up with the seemingly tireless daughter of Artemis, Atlanta Hunter—whether she was truly a physical child, or a child in spirit was unknown, but given Atlanta's distain and general fusty attitude towards the goddess of the hunt, Stephanie, and most campers worth their salt, decided not to ask.<p>

Doubling over as a pain shot through her overwrought limbs, Stephanie struggled to regain her breath. They had been tracking (or as Atlanta put it; hunting) a Minotaur for what felt like hours, and if their lack of progress is anything to go by, either the creature had gotten smarter, or they were pursuing more than one.

"Atlanta…" Stephanie wheezed just above a whisper, just as the red-haired beauty came somersaulting quietly into view, by a tall, overgrown bush.

"_WHAT?" _Atlanta mouthed, with an annoyed but understanding look on her face, before letting her forest green eyes scanned the landscape for their prey.

Stephanie opened her mouth to say something to the effect of 'let's go back' or 'maybe we lost it', but once she spotted that look of unshakable determination on her face, and observed the way the older woman lifted her bow, the daughter of Apollo knew that she had spotted her target. "Never mind," She whispered, before looking out from behind the tree she was posted at to see the large beast.

It was about eight or nine feet tall, with the head of a bull and the body of a weight-lifter, and if not for the fact that Stephanie had been dead tired, she would have both laughed and marveled at the fact that this one had been wearing a skirt.

"Steady… steady…" Atlanta murmured to herself, as she let the tension melt out of her shoulders, took a deep breath, aimed at the kilted creature, and pulled the arrow back until the bowstring was almost hissing.

Stephanie watched, emerald green orbs blown wide with admiration, as the redhead entered full-on stalker mode. Sure, she was no novice archer, herself; as she could probably—no, definitely—shoot an apple off of someone's' head if they didn't flinch, or psyche her out; like Connor Stoll had done that last time, when she attempted to de-apple a daughter of Aphrodite named Andromeda 'Andy', but horribly missed and almost took out one of her pretty, almond-colored eyes.

To this day, Andy flinched or hid whenever Stoll and Stephanie were in the same area with a bow and arrow, as she surmised that she wouldn't be so lucky next time around.

There was barely any time to register the piercing roar of pain echoed through the somewhat silent forest, before Atlanta was springing over the top of the hedge, and darting towards the wounded creature to slice its jugular with a dagger she had sheathed in her boot.

Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding; Stephanie carefully stalked over to her companion; who was now stripping the floral printed skirt off of the Minotaur, and kicked the corpse to make sure it was dead. When she was sure, like absolutely sure, the brunette hunched over to retrieve the arrow that was embedded in its chest.

It took a lot of pulling and even more wiggling, but when she finally repossessed the projectile, she grimaced at the gore that dripped off of it. "Ugh… can't it just be cotton stuffing just this once?" Wiping the crimson stained arrowhead on the neckerchief that she stashed in the pocket of her jeans, Stephanie looked over to Atlanta and sighed. "Can we go now? You've got the skirt; you can go rub it in Clarisse's face.

Rolling her eyes as the younger girl tried to rush her along, Atlanta stuffed the tacky material into her knapsack, dusted her clothes off, and started towards the bush where her weapon lay forgotten. "Yeah, I think—" She paused, before looking around suspiciously. "Stephanie, hide…!" She hollered, diving down to collect her bow, and just in time too, because another, much larger Minotaur came crashing through.

Stephanie ducked just as the creature's large, lethal claws swooped just inches away from her face. "Hey, what's the big idea!" She hollered, before cartwheeling backwards with the one hand that wasn't holding her bow.

The Minotaur roared as the agile brunette retreated from its reach, but before it could charge her; Atlanta stabbed into its back with her dagger, once, twice, thrice, before clambering clumsily up its form to lodge her weapon into its neck. The monstrous creature roared and cried out, as it tried in vain to shake the girl off.

Stephanie crouched on the ground, a safe distance away from the action, as she loaded her bow with three arrows at once. Call her crazy, but she wasn't about to sit back shooting one at a time. Pulling the string back, she closed a green eye and steadied her aim. "ATLANTA!" She warned, before releasing the arrows.

The redhead drank in the panicked shout, and knew it was her cue to go; ripping the dagger out of the Minotaur's shoulder blade, Atlanta kicked off the creature's spine and back flipped away just in time to watch the three barbs lodge themselves into the beast's neck, chest and lower abdomen.

Landing gracelessly on her feet, Atlanta panted and wiped the sweat off her brow. "Three arrows; seriously, Stephanie…?" She started to say with a breathless laugh. "Way to think outside the box."

Stephanie gave her a cheeky grin, before regaining her composure. "Let's get out of here, before more of them show up."

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><p>Zoe Hutton shook her head fiercely with immense disapproval, as she watched Kyle let himself be chatted up by a Crystal; a daughter of Aphrodite that he had had his eye on for a little while. She didn't know what he saw in that Barbie, (and in all actuality, she didn't even know what he saw in her!) but she was sure that he was going to get his heartbroken when he figured out that she, like her sisters, were nothing but tramps.<p>

Sniffing as she crossed her arms, Zoe narrowed her piercing onyx eyes at Crystal, as the girl wrapped her arms around Kyle's mid-section. The sight of the little show that this girl was putting on was absolutely repulsive, and if Kyle didn't bring his stupid butt over here, Zoe was going to put her foot down and break this girl's neck… or, atleast, use some of that trusty Geokinesis to destroy the infamous cabin #10, once and for all.

"So, like, Kyle…" Crystal said in a sultry voice, just above a whisper, as she gently raked her perfectly manicured nails along the sleeve of his hoodie. "If you aren't doing anything tonight; my sister is going to be out—did you want to come by and just, you know, hang out for a while?"

Kyle's dreamy, midnight colored eyes flickered from the fuming daughter of Hades, and back to the impossibly pretty blonde in front of him. "Uh… well, erm…?" He croaked, stumbling over his words, as he struggled to avoid the demi-goddess' deep blue eyes; which were currently filled with annoyance.

"I asked you if you wanted to spend the night with me." Crystal growled, knitting her arched brows together to keep from flying off the handle. _"Kyle,_ were you even listening to me? "Stamping her foot down, she watched as the early stages of a guilty expression began to etch into his features.

Though, before she could call him out on it, Kyle quickly schooled his expression, and let out a shaky sigh. "S-sure, why not?"

"Great! I'll see you at seven!" Crystal got on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss on his flushed cheek, before running along to do…well, whatever the daughters of Aphrodite do.

Kyle sighed again, but was determined not to dwell on his total opposition to the idea of being alone with Crystal in her cabin. It wasn't that he didn't like her, (he did; he really, really did) it just felt like she was using him; after all, the girls—and boys—of cabin #10 were notorious for breaking hearts, and not to mention that a certain daughter of Hades had outright forbid him from speaking to any other girls besides her.

Tossing a gloomy glance over his shoulder, Kyle had to put into effect an army's worth of willpower to keep from bristling at the death glare he was receiving from Zoe. Well, he'll be put in a meat flavored sack and thrown to the ravenous wolves that followed the Huntress' of Artemis; she was right behind him the whole time.

"Z-Zoe…" He whispered, unsure if he could trust his voice at full volume. From the day that they had first met; their fingers had brushed when they had both grabbed the same fork in the mess hall, something about this sardonic rebel had drawn him in, (not in a solely romantic way.) and the next thing he knew; he was Zoe Hutton's first and only friend at camp.

But, it wasn't like he was complaining; he had friends, lots of them, but she was special—she stood up for him whenever he got in trouble, she waited on him whenever she wasn't doing anything, and most importantly—he thought she was pretty. Yeah, so what his wild, teenage-hormones were a deciding factor in extending the olive branch…

Kyle's mouth went dry, as Zoe tucked some of her inky colored hair behind her ear and began to advance on him. And judging by the large strides she took, she was more than pissed—she was livid. The son of darkness only had a second to open his mouth—though, he wasn't about to defend himself; he never did—it was to take a deep breath before the ravenette smashed his face down into the dirt, and yelled at him.

"Gah… those _tramps_ are getting desperate, if they're coming after _you_, of all people…" Zoe growled, as she tugged sharply on the silky black and gold strands of hair that tickled her fingers, so that she could lift Kyle's head out the soil below. "Look, Anderson," She started to say, as she pulled her hand out of her companions hair. "If you're going to pretend to be my friend; don't spit in my face, by hanging out with those friggin' Kewpie Dolls!"

Kyle nodded carefully, before wiping the grime from his eyelashes. "I'm sorry," He apologized despondently, as he watched as the _Angel of Death_ wiped her hands on her black skinny jeans. It was times like this that he wished she didn't hate him, and the world, so much. "I'm sorry, Zoe." He repeated, when the ravenette waved off his last request for forgiveness.

"Whatever…" She grunted, as she stalked off; probably to be alone in her cabin, leaving Kyle kneeling on the ground with an unyielding expression.

It was campfire sing-along time with Apollo's cabin, when our four semi-divines met up.

Stephanie was dressed for bed in a worn pair of loose, pastel-colored cotton night pants, a light blue tank top, a white sweater, and a pair of 'borrowed 'slippers. "Good evening, everybody," She smiled, as she wound up her chocolate\honey hair into a messy braid. "Who's ready to sing until they puke?" When she received a mixed crop of responses, her smile widened considerably.

Zoe and Kyle stood just a few feet away from the commotion, as the former watched the fire intently with an unreadable, but all the while menacing, expression on her face. "Well, if your singing is as bad as your dad's haikus; it won't take _me_ long to throw up." Zoe said in a snarky voice, as she rolled her eyes.

"What did you say, Hutton? I couldn't hear you over your piss poor attitude!" Matthew Ross (one of the many handsome sons of Apollo) called angrily from the other side of the bonfire.

"Oh, blow it out your ass, Ross." Zoe countered sharply, chucking small, shiny rocks into the fire. It was no secret that she and Matthew didn't get along—though, she didn't really get along with anyone at camp—but, it did grow to be a little more than a nuisance to the rest of the camp each and every time the two of them got into it.

Matthew's lips thinned into a straight line, as he snarled at Zoe's harsh words. Even though they throw jabs at each other all the time; today he just wasn't in the mood to bicker—he was out for blood. "Heh, yeah, well, Hutton; I think I've got something for you to blow—"

"ENOUGH!" Katie Knapp, a button cute camper, hissed, as she jumped to her feet. "You two are driving me crazy!" She shouted, clasping her hands over her ears. "Seriously, you two need to get over yourselves!"

Both Matthew and Zoe opened their mouths to say something, when Will Solace spoke up. "Katie is right; if you two don't let up on your constant arguing, I'm going to have the daughters of Aphrodite fix you guys up." Smirking smugly when he heard Zoe scoff loudly, the blonde took a seat around the fire. "Now that that's over; who's ready for some music?"

Admittedly, the marathon of songs that the children of Apollo had put on were not the best—okay, they were straight crappy; from old folk songs that no one understood, to renditions of modern day top #50 songs—and the campers were glad when it finally ended.

"Hey, Katie, my dad sent me some comics; you want to read them with me?" Asked a hopeful camper to the tiny brunette and to his surprise, she nodded eagerly, and the two of them disappeared to the Nemesis cabin.

As the campers slowly dispersed, Zoe took purchase around the fading fire and rubbed her chilled legs; they were out, completely unprotected from the cool caress of the night, because ravenette had opted for a pair of black shorts, a thin orange camisole, and a matching black hoodie for her sleepwear tonight. "That Ross guy is such a jackass…" She grumbled, clinching her hands in the dirt surrounding her.

"I don't think he is." Stephanie chimed in, as she cleared away the refuse and litter from their earlier gathering. "I'm sure that, somewhere, deep down inside of him, is a heart of gold." Watching the way Zoe shrugged her shoulders, and let out a forced cough to hide a rather rude comment, the brunette let her expression twist with disgust. "Of course, you wouldn't understand; seeing as you wouldn't know anything about having a heart."

"What did you say, Anderson—?" Zoe launched to her feet, ready to fight, though when she started on the other girl, she suddenly came to a halt. "Oh, wait, why am I about to engage you in a fight, and over some petty words?" Folding her arms across her chest, the ravenette looked up at the sky as if in deep thought. "Last I checked; Ross was your brother, so, why would you say anything bad about him? You're just as talentless and just as useless as he is."

It was Stephanie's turn to get offended. "Talentless? Who are you to say that we're talentless? YOU'RE ONLY TALENT IS BEING A FREAK!" And with that, the two of them began to argue. It was an endless cycle; if Zoe wasn't fighting the daughters of Aphrodite, she was fighting the _children_ of Apollo.

While they fought, Kyle stood unfazed in the background; completely unaware of the fact that he had blown Crystal off to hang out with the insufferable daughter of Death. It wasn't until the aforementioned blonde had shown up with the biggest vein in her forehead and the ugliest scowl on her face, did Kyle remember their earlier agreement for him to visit her cabin.

"Where in the world were you, Kyle!" The blonde all but shrieked at him, as she weakly beat on his chest with her delicate fists. "You stood me up, you stood _ME_ up." Pointing to herself as she was an all important person, Crystal continued to shout at him like a maniac; that is, until Zoe literally tackled her onto the ground and began to rough her up.

Oblivious to all the commotion that took place around her, Atlanta stared intensely at the fire, lost completely in her thoughts. Life had been, well, hectic, (to put it in layman's terms) since the war, and the whole 'losing the love of her life-thing' had happened; and it seemed to be on a path to continue its current chaotic pace, what with the sudden arrival of her 23rd birthday and all.

It practically came out of nowhere, she had been pushing herself to extremes those passed weeks when Artemis had visited her in a dream; pleading for Atlanta to accept her and her **_'stupid huntresses'_**, and that if she could look past her own stubborn, selfish ways; she could maybe, eventually join them. Of course, Atlanta had declined her mother's offer; she would never—and she repeats—_never_ willingly join the hunt as long as she breathed air and blood coursed through her veins.

You would think that after her fated-to-never-be romance with Luke, that she would swear off of men forever; but, miraculously, she didn't…

Some campers gossiped that Atlanta wasn't over him; and that if given the chance, she would be crazy enough to travel the ends of the earth to retrieve him—maybe bring him back to Camp, and try to live happily ever after with him. While others opted for a better reason—maybe she was tougher than they thought, and that maybe she had healed enough to fall in love again? Surely, she would reject becoming a huntress, because she didn't want to give up on romance, now—if ever.

Whether it was true or not was unsure; because, like a lot of things about Atlanta's personal life, people tried not to pry too much.

Atlanta sighed, and lifted her gaze from the burnt out tinder to the squabbling campers; who were now being reprimanded by one of the many counselors. She missed the days when she and Luke got in trouble for acting out. She missed the days when she, Annabeth, Luke and Thalia would just sit around and talk about nothing.

"Hey, Atlanta…! Look alive." The daughter of Artemis heard someone call out her name, and she barely had time to look in the direction of the voice, to see what was going on.

The person who had so rudely interrupted her thoughts was a rather tiny, shaggy haired blonde boy who everyone recognized as JD—Jessup Doyle—he was a cute, cheeky; and not to mention blind, son of Hermes, who is estimated to be around twelve, to thirteen years old.

"Hey, JD, what're doing out so late?" Atlanta asked, as the young boy plopped down beside her. Usually, the blonde was cooped up in his cabin all day, (Due to his sightlessness; and his siblings fear of him doing something rash and getting himself hurt.) only coming out to eat and socialize.

"I heard them, again, Atlanta." Jessup confessed, leaning back on his hands and looking up at the sky as if he could actually count the numberless stars that danced tirelessly amongst the heavens. "They've been telling me what I'm missing out on."

Atlanta stared sadly at the blonde, as his lips tugged down in a frown. For all his life; he hadn't been able to see—not the look of joy on his mother's face when she brought him into the world, not the smiles on his new family's faces, when he had first came stumbling into the camp holding his older sister's hand…

Jessup probably didn't even know what he looked like. Just how his face felt; smooth cheeks, a button nose, smiling lips and owl-shaped eyes. She chewed the inside of her cheek when she remembered how the blonde had felt her face before; his fingers were clammy as the slid along her lightly freckles cheeks and forehead. He had the saddest look on his face when he told her that she had a pretty face—perhaps, for once, he wanted to gaze upon the beauty of persons instead of just feeling it.

Though, when she overheard Nico Di Angelo inquiring about Jessup's sight; he said he was fine with just feeling his way around the world, and that if anyone asked him that question again, he would rip his useless eyes right out of their sockets and jump rope with them from Thalia's pine tree to Fireworks Beach.

"What else are they saying?" Atlanta asked, never taking her eyes off Jessup as he stretched his arms above his head to work out the kinks in his spine. Lately, whenever she saw the young son of Hermes mucking about, he was always complaining about the 'voices' that kept him company throughout the day; it was needless to say that the voices he was referring to weren't just some imaginary friends, but the gods themselves.

What they told him, and why they were constantly contacting him, was beyond her—and most of everybody else, but Chiron jokingly insisted that it was because, unlike everyone else, Jessup was a patient listener and didn't run off to get himself killed every time they told him that something huge was about to go down.

"They say that they have a trial… You know, a challenge," Jessup offered, as he leaned back to lie out under the stars. "One that hasn't been attempted—let alone finished—in over half a century, and that they wanted _me_ to find someone to complete it." Cocking his head to the side, the blonde crossed his legs at the ankle; taking on a totally relaxed posture.

Atlanta blinked, not sure if she heard the son of Hermes correctly. "What—why?"

"To test if the children who are chosen are pure of heart." Jessup answered matter-of-factly, as he tapped his fingers along the grass to some unknown beat. "—and I don't know why." He quickly added, to avoid anymore of Atlanta's questions.

Turning the thought over in her head, Atlanta piped up. "Do you know _who_ they've chosen?"

Jessup nodded, before sitting up. "But, I can't tell you until tomorrow; it's getting late, and they're expecting me back." Getting to his feet, he dusted himself off, before offering the redhead a dreamy smile. "Just keep _**'The Twelve Deadly Challenges of the Olympians'**__,_ in mind and everything will soon be explained." Bidding her a farewell, the blonde disappeared off in the direction of—or atleast, the path he had hoped to lead to—his cabin.

Atlanta watched him go, and sighed loudly. For some reason, she had a bad feeling that because he had deliberately searched her out-despite the possibility of getting in trouble and so on and so forth-she had something to do with this challenge.

After being steered into the proper direction of his cabin, Jessup bumped into Katie; who had just exited the Nemesis cabin, and Kyle who had promised to walk her back to her own place of residence. Though, since Katie was in a rush to get to bed before the moon loomed high above their heads—signaling that it was midnight—Jessup had to rush to inform them too of the impending challenge.

"Tell no one," the boy said in a menacing tone, as the distant firelight illuminated the lens of his black sunglasses. It would have been creepy; the look on his face, if not for the fact that this was _Jessup Doyle_—and, thus, there was nothing creepy about him. "—but, If you must, they said it was alright to tell Zoe Hutton and Matthew Ross for me." Suddenly, a smirk broke out on his face, and he rushed off giggling to himself.

"I wonder what he's in such a good mood about!" Katie gawked, as she turned her confused gaze onto Kyle. "_Twelve Deadly Challenges_ doesn't sound like it would be fun for anyone…!"

The son of Nyx shook his head. "It depends on who were talking about; the name alone makes it sound like Zoe would love it."

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><p><strong>NEXT CHAPTER: Discovering the first challenge.<strong>

**Preview: **

**Stephanie took in the room with large eyes. It was amazing. From wall to wall; it was lined with the statutes of some of the prettiest beings that have ever lived. From Andromeda; the wife of Perseus, to Psyche; the wife of Eros… even Ganymede's statute stood tall and proud, crafted with stone never seen or used by any mortal.**

**As the group marveled at the magnificent sculptures, Kyle's eyes twitched as he caught sight of his mother's statute. She was standing completely bare, expect for a wispy looking shawl. **

"**Oh, well there goes something that you don't see every day." **


	2. Challenge 1: Aphrodite

**Author's note: Hey, hey, hey. I'm finally back with the next chapter—uh, huh… oh, yeah… I rock!—they're finally going to get something done, and hopefully, I can keep this pace up. Ooh, perhaps, in about eleven more chapters; I can end this? *****Evil laughs* Oh, who am I kidding? You guys would kill me, if I tried to rush to the end. :P LOL! Enough of my rambling!**

**(Since I forgot to put the disclaimer last time,) **_**"I do not own PJ&O, nor do I own Greek Mythology, **(Who does, though?)** I don't even own the good OCs; all I own is the writing **(but, that doesn't matter, I don't think)** and Jessup Doyle." **_

**Characters in this chapter are the EXACT same as before; aside from the addition of Sky by August57. Again, I thank you guys for letting me control your creations. (THANK YOU!) **

**Alright, you guys and girls enjoy; ya' hear!**

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><p>Consciousness rudely found the chosen campers; it wasn't even one a clock in the morning when the first one of them had stirred from their slumber and without even trying, they all ended up meeting by the Dinning Pavilion.<p>

"Did you have the dream, too?" Atlanta grumbled softly, rubbing her eye with the sleeve of her sweater.

"Uh-huh," Matthew and Stephanie chorused with a sleepy shrug. It was obvious that the two of them were really _exhausted_; both because they hadn't gotten enough sleep to make up for the strenuous activities from yesterday, and, that being children of Apollo: they really couldn't energize until the sun was up.

Zoe looked just as pristine as the day before; as if she didn't need sleep at all. Though, judging by the way her hoodie hung haphazardly off her shoulder, the dark rings around her eyes, and the crusted drool that was dabbed in the corner of her frowning mouth; she still was a human being, and had slept last night... and perhaps the other nights prior, as well. "Anyone got an explanation for all that freaky crap?"

Kyle offered his companion a shrug. "No idea…" He said simply, completely at a loss himself. His dream, just like everyone else's, was filled with strange images of temples that were as large as they were beautiful, and monstrous beasts that they would be hard-pressed not to believe existed; especially after all the things they've seen. But, unlike everyone else, Kyle was overwhelmed by the sense that they were in grave danger; though, instead of telling the others, he squashed those feelings, and went along with the general feel of confusion and hysteria.

Katie murmured something, still half-sleep, as she leaned against Atlanta; who didn't exactly appreciate the petite girl's weight. "..._I couldn't possibly eat another grape." _She giggled, still interacting in the realm of sleep. Apparently, she wasn't going to let some trippy, psychedelic hallucination ruin one of the greatest dreams she had ever had.

Atlanta stared down at her—somewhat grossed out by how the brunette was drooling on her blouse—before she looked up to regard the rest of the group with hazy, avocado-colored eyes. "Did any one of you talk to JD, last night?" She asked coolly, and judging by the fact that she was, by far, the calmest person in the group; she might have known what was going on.

Most of everyone stayed quiet; unsure of what that kid had to do with anything, so, Kyle eventually spoke up. "He told me and Katie about some challenge-thing…" His voice was like a whisper of the winds; soft and quiet, but luckily, since it was still dark out, there wasn't too much noise to impede the other camper's hearing.

"You were out last night, with Knapp?" Zoe asked sharply, sounding a little betrayed.

Atlanta ignored the ravenette's outburst and probed Kyle for more about their conversation; likewise, he told her verbatim the same thing Jessup had told her last night.

"_The Olympian's Twelve Deadly Challenges_, seriously? They didn't have any cooler sounding names." Matthew scoffed.

"No, they did… but,_**'Δώδεκα επικίνδυνες προκλήσεις Η Ολυμπια του'**_, didn't make too much sense, after being translated to English…" Jessup joked, arriving straight out of nowhere. It was a wonder how he crept all the way here without being heard, but it was soon discovered that he wasn't alone; and that, in fact, with him was Sky; the daughter of 'Crop Destroyer' Notus.

Sky was a tall, pretty girl, who was graced with soft features and a slim figure. Her hair was a vibrant shade of copper-red, and it had illustrious silver streaks threaded throughout; and right now, it was braided and thrown over her shoulder, and nicely decorated with beautiful feathers. She was wearing her street clothes; a pair of dark blue jeans, a black and yellow Batman T-shirt, and a bomber-trooper jacket.

"Good morning, everyone," She greeted cheerfully, unfazed by their sour expressions. "I see that you've all got the message. That means we can head out—and sooner than I originally anticipated, too." Clasping her hands together, the daughter of the winds let her turquoise eyes scan over the group of tired campers. "Well, don't just stand there, you guys, get your stuff packed!"

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><p>Admittedly, it took a lot of convincing to get everyone on board for this adventure; (though, luckily, Jessup was more than capable enough at the art of persuasion, <em><strong>"If you guys don't get your butts into gear, you're going to find yourself with another hole in your body!"<strong>_) and, soon enough, they were departing.

Zoe let out a slew of curses, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder for the umpteenth time, as the group made their way to the nearby road. "And just where the _hell,_ are we supposed to be going, anyway?" She grouched loudly, watching the back of Jessup's head as he, with the help of Sky, led them along.

Walking alongside Zoe was Stephanie; who up until now was completely engrossed in the music that flitted through her headphones. "Ugh…are you still whining?" The brunette knitted her eyebrows together. "For the love of the _gods_…" She groaned aloud, when Zoe continued to complain. "JD, can't you just tell us where we're headed?"

The blonde son of Hermes 'tsked' amusedly, as he waggled his index finger. "We'll be getting there soon enough—" Stepping ahead of even Sky, who had been leading him, Jessup peeled back a grove of bushes to reveal a beautiful, flaming red sports car. "—especially, since we have this little beauty at our disposal."

Katie choked on a gasp, Matthew and Stephanie gaped in horror, Zoe laughed; finally brought out her funk, Atlanta had to do a double-take to be sure that she was seeing what she thought she was, and Kyle just stood there taking in the sight of the magnificent vehicle.

"You stole Apollo's car!" Sky croaked indignantly, as her eyes almost bulged out of her head; apparently, she wasn't made aware of this fact, when she had helped Jessup set everything up for the long, cross-country trip.

Matthew looked furious at this; who did this kid think he was? Stealing the Sun Chariot was not only stealing from Apollo; but, stealing from Matthew, Stephanie, and every other child of the sun gold, as well. So, likewise; the brunette did what any other child of Apollo would've done.

Covering the large space in-between them in less than two long strides; the older male was reaching for Jessup with his deadly mitts. He would have succeeded in tearing the blonde into tiny, bloody pieces, if he hadn't been held back by Kyle and Katie. "Damn you, Doyle!" He growled, as the blonde backed out of his reach.

Stephanie burned with fury, as well, but unlike Matthew, didn't act upon the impulse to attack. "Jessup…" She warned in a menacing voice. "He had better know that his pride and joy is here, out in the stark middle of nowhere; or I swear I'll hurt you, myself!"

"So, his children aren't his pride and joy?" Jessup laughed nervously, before fixing his tinted spectacles. "Oh, relax, you guys." The blonde choked, as he backed away from glowering brunettes. "He knows it's here. He let me borrow it."

Neither Matthew nor Stephanie looked convinced. "Bullshit." They both chorused, as Atlanta walked passed them to get a better look of the Maserati Spyder. "Don't touch it, Hunter!" Matthew barked, when he noticed the sneaky redhead reaching out to smooth her hand along the hood of the car.

"Sorry, geez." She said, lifting her hands up in a defensive manner. "It's the freakin' Sun Chariot; do you really expect me to keep my hands to myself?" A smile broke out on her face, when Stephanie shot her an understanding look.

Katie had just found the time to close her mouth. "Whoa…that car is so cool." Pushing passed Kyle; the brunette stumbled over to the parted brush to get a better look, as well. "It's no GranTurismo; but, oh my goddesses; does your dad knows his cars!" Ignoring the half-empty threats of Apollo's children, the daughter of Victory circled around the vehicle, before opening the passenger door and slipping inside. "Oh, wow… the interior is sooo soft, I almost feel bad that my shoes are muddy!"

"WHAT?"

* * *

><p>It took a lot of time and energy to keep Stephanie and Matthew from killing Katie for tracking mud in their father's car; but, eventually they all piled into the vehicle and began their, rather quick, drive to the first destination.<p>

It was a miracle they, and their baggage, could fit; being that the Maserati Spyder was supposed to be a two-seater, but, of course, since it was a magical car, it could shrink and expand just for the sake of doing so.

Jessup was surprisingly a good driver—and they would have known that; if they had given him the wheel. Now, you could either fault them for not letting an experienced driver take the wheel; or you could praise them for not letting a blind person drive. Either way, you would have been right.

After they had secured Jessup in his seatbelt, Stephanie and Matthew played 'rock-paper-scissors', before Atlanta pushed passed them to take the driver's seat. "Shut your mouths and get in." She said with a jaunty laugh, as she gripped the wheel. Most of the group seemed fine with her driving instead, thinking that her worldly driving experience would somehow translate into driving the Sun Chariot; but, alas, it didn't.

Atlanta had almost killed them _atleast_ four times; Kyle had stopped counting after the wheels caught fire, as they drove from Long Island, New York to Los Angeles, California.

Zoe was still throwing up as the last of the demi-gods piled out the car; visibly shaken by how fast it had gone... The trip was, well, _astonishing_; to say the least. But, what did they expect? They had ridden in one of the best motors of transportation ever imagined.

"Let's _never_ do that again." Katie gasped out between harsh breaths; she was doubled over and trying desperately not to cry. "Please, promise me we'll never do that again?" Her voice was raspy, and seconds from going out; because of how loud she had been screaming during the ride.

Jessup was the only one who didn't seem too shaken up; but, still, that wasn't saying much. Judging by the watery look in his eyes; he too was ready to pledge on his mother's grave that he would never again climb aboard the twisted metal deathtrap. Clearing his throat, the blonde tried his best to keep from shrieking like a frightened mandrake. "For now, we shouldn't have to worry about Atlanta's b—" Looking up to see her glaring heatedly at him, he quickly cleaned up his statement. "Uh—creative driving…"

"Why's that? You going to let someone else try to crash into Seer's tower?" Zoe asked sarcastically, as she wiped the corners of her mouth.

"No, it's cause we're here." Sky answered in the calmest tone she could manage, as she shakily pointed towards the building they had conveniently parked in front of.

"This—this is a salon?" Kyle deadpanned, staring at the large, gaudy sign with a woman's perfectly manicured hand and _'La Beauté'_ plastered in pretty cursive words above it. "We came all the way for a salon?"

Stephanie frowned, as she dragged in a large gulp of air. "Nah-uh…No way, I just sat through the worst car ride of my life; just so I can get a friggin' pedicure." Looking over to Atlanta, her frown deepened. "No offense, intended; but, next time, stick with your mom's chariot. I'm sure you'd be a natural at steering it."

Matthew scoffed. "Artemis wouldn't let her near that Sleigh, even if her life depended on it."

Atlanta scowled, but said nothing, as she wobbled towards the automatic doors of the beauty salon. Strangely enough, no matter how many times Katie stepped on the panel and shouted, to the dismay of the rest, _"open sesame!"_ the doors wouldn't open.

Just when Stephanie was about to turn around and chew Jessup out; Sky leaned close to the door and read aloud, "Open 9am-9pm, Wednesdays through Fridays." Looking down at her watch, she laughed. "Would you look at that, it's eight o' clock; I guess we'll have to wait—"

The daughter of winds was interrupted, when Jessup stepped passed her and placed one of his hands on the cold glass. "This is going to take a minute." Kneeling, he reached in his sneaker and pulled out a penny. Quickly, before any passersby could see what he was doing, the blonde jammed the penny between the doors and what would you know; it sprung open. "Hurry up, let's get inside."

They wasted no time darting inside, before the mortals could notice that a bunch of snot-nosed children (and Atlanta) were breaking into a hair salon.

Once inside, they were quickly enveloped by a blanket of cool air; which was a welcomed departure from the blistering heat of L.A in the summertime. As they dropped their knapsacks on the floral-printed welcome mat, Sky sighed; completely out of her element in the cool room. "So, how're we supposed to find Aphrodite's temple?" She asked Jessup, as the boy snooped around.

Stephanie cocked her head to the side. "Aphrodite's temple…? Why the—why would it be in _here?"_

Zoe gave the brunette a look; one of her famous capital '_**L'**_ looks. "Why's mount Olympus in the Empire State Building?" Her tone was mocking and dripping with venom.

"Ha, ha…" The daughter of Apollo forced out a laugh. "—touché, loser." Stephanie rolled her eyes, before venturing off to one of the many shelves that were lined with cosmetics a plenty. From expensive L'Oreal maquillage, to tall bottles of Pantene—this place had it all. Grabbing one of the many ampules of lip gloss, the brunette twisted the top off and went off to find a mirror to aid her in the application of it.

Jessup was twisting the many knobs of the nearby sinks, when he looked up and spotted a small, ornate hand-mirror resting on the counter by the cash register. "Aha!" Starting towards it, the blonde reached his hand out to grab it. "Guys, I think I found our ticket!" That being said, the minute his fingers brushed the cold, metallic surface, the celestial crystal that lined the inside of the mirror began to sparkle and glimmer.

The ray of light was bright, brilliant, and eye-catching enough to pull everyone out of their dawdling. "It's beautiful." Katie gaped, as she started towards the luminescent radiance.

"What is it?" Atlanta asked, watching entranced, as Jessup picked it up and aimed it across the room; unfortunately, Kyle was standing there, and found himself almost blinded by the light. Clenching his eyes shut, as the light was flashed in his eyes; the son of Nyx stepped out of the way of the beam.

Jessup grinned and handed the mirror to Atlanta; who chased Sky around with the light, before letting the beam rest on one of the stationary hairdryers. "It's Aphrodite's key—it's the key to the Temple's entrance." The blonde said, and, as if on cue, the hairdryer collapsed into the wall; revealing a large set of double doors that looked to belong to a dollhouse. Though, instead of there being a lock, there was an indentation made of crystal where the mirror was to be placed.

"Cool…" Stephanie murmured in awe, as Atlanta guided Jessup to the door, so he could tell her how to open it. To the surprise of the group, the door practically threw itself open when the mirror's light shined upon its mystical lock.

"I was, somehow, expecting something tackier." Matthew murmured, as he walked towards the entrance; but, was quickly stopped by Jessup.

"Someone's going to have to stand guard." The blonde said pointedly, as he motioned to the one of the empty waiting-chairs with a point of his stubby thumb.

Narrowing his green eyes at the blind son of Hermes, the brunette shoved him away half-heartedly. "Bull crap, I'm not about to wait around for you guys."

Atlanta smoothed her hand along the archway of the door. "Well, someone's got to be on the lookout for mortals, and it's not like we can leave JD behind; since, he's the only one who knows what to do..." Her reasoning was sound. "Though, I can assure you that I'm going in." Throwing them broad grin, the natural-born-huntress disappeared into the secret room.

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "To avoid anyone getting all butt hurt; I'll stay behind." Her statement received an angry scoff from Matthew, and an annoyed look from Stephanie. "Besides, if we're going to have to repeat this crap eleven more times; I might as well save my energy for when it gets good." Sitting in one of the bubble-gum pink, suede armchairs, the ravenette crossed her legs. "Try not to get killed; my ears will be ringing for days."

Jessup nodded gratefully to the daughter of Hades, before toddling towards the door. "Well, you heard her; from here on out, we'll be facing never-ending perils, if you want to waste your time in Barbie-land, be my guest; but, I believe your abilities would be better suited in the future challenges." And, with that, he too entered the hidden temple; followed by a now armed Stephanie, Kyle, and Katie; who couldn't turn down the challenge, even if she wanted to… the desire to be victorious was deeply engraved in her very being, and there was just no way she could refuse going into a dark, dank room to kick some ass.

Sky and Matthew ultimately stayed behind, not only because of Jessup's amazing stroking of their egos; but, also because, for once Zoe had made some actual sense. There would be plenty of trials for everyone. There was no need to fight over the very first one.

"Well… this isn't so bad, once you get used to it." Sky said softly, as she sank into one of the _ah-maze-zing, _massage chairs.

Matthew raised his brow, before finding himself a seat. "Whatever."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the temple, to everyone's surprise; the temple's entrance was well-lit and heavily decorated. From the floors made of beautiful crystal, to the many exotic roses that twisted and winded around the pillars and walls. It was truly, an outstanding sight; nothing short of what was to be expected of Aphrodite.<p>

They wasted time admiring the flowers, the pristine little streams that traveled throughout the crystal, and, most importantly; the many statuettes of the goddess of Love of, herself. Eventually, though, Jessup got tired of everyone rubbing it in his face that he couldn't _see_ all the 'Ooh—Ah!' worthy adornments. "Let's go." He grumbled, stomping his way to what he thought was the next room—it was a wall, and Kyle had to act fast to keep the blonde from running into it.

The following chamber was even more breath-taking—if that was possible—than the last, and Stephanie took in the room with large, glassy eyes. "Oh, goddesses…" She gaped. It was amazing—no, it was more than that! In fact, there were just no words to define its beauty; much like in the case of describing Aphrodite.

From wall to wall; it was lined with the statutes of some of the prettiest beings that have ever lived. In the far corner was Andromeda, (the wife of the hero Perseus) whose name literally meant 'ruler of men.' In the opposite corner was Psyche, (the wife of Eros) a woman so beautiful; that the goddess had felt threaten by her; and did the best she could to get rid of her… even Ganymede's statute stood tall and proud; crafted with stone never seen or used by any mortal.

As the group marveled at the magnificent sculptures, Kyle felt his eyes twitch manically and water involuntarily, as he caught sight of his mother's statute. There Nyx was, standing completely bare; expect for a wispy looking shawl, and a longing look in her eyes.

"Oh, well there goes something that you don't see every day." Atlanta said, as her gaze bounced between that of the primordial goddess' statute, and Kyle who had tried in vain to put on his best unfazed expression. Turning on her heel, the redhead was almost knocked off her feet when she caught sight of her mother; immortalized in stone.

Artemis' statute was angled near the center of the room, and the goddess of the hunt was standing in a gallant pose; though, upon hearing Stephanie's comment on the stance that the huntress took, Atlanta realized not only was her mother aiming her bow and arrow at the ceiling, but that the arrow could actually be removed from the statute's lax grip.

Walking around the tall sculpture, as she tried hard to fight the urge to collect the celestial arrow, the redhead noted the expression on Artemis' face. Her eyes were cold and stern; just like they always were, her lips were pressed into a straight, hard line; almost as if she was frowning… it was sad to say that no matter what the circumstances, no matter if she was real or not; Artemis was never happy with her.

Atlanta quickly tore her eyes away from the captivating sculpture, as her wounded heart dropped into her stomach and her waterline prickled painfully with tears of fury. The huntress hated her, and everything she stood for. And, no matter what she had done in the past, or does in the future, Artemis would probably never come around. Instead, she would just continue to regard her with those cold eyes and those same firm frowns of immense distain. And for that, she could say without shame that the hatred was mutual.

Katie walked around the finely crafted sculptures, before standing adjacent to Kyle (who had been stuck staring at the glorious Calypso) and staring up at the stone replica of Aphrodite. "W-wow…" She croaked, as she took in the sight. This carving of the goddess of love was truly an erotic masterpiece. She was laid out along a beautiful seashell, with her back arched sensually and her long, lovely hair positioned_ just right_ to cover her bare bosoms.

"It gives me chills, just staring at it." Stephanie commented over Katie's shoulder; startling the brunette from her reverie, as she stepped closer to get a better look. "But, what can I say…" She shrugged, as her emerald green eyes followed the finely sculpted curves on the goddess' body. "If you've got it; flaunt it." Sparing a self-conscious glance at her own body; the daughter of Apollo sighed to herself, when her gaze was met by the white tank-top and leather jacket she had thrown on earlier that morning, with her favorite teal, paisley-patterned shorts. She knew what was underneath that outfit, and it was nothing like what Aphrodite had.

While everyone else shamelessly ogled the beauties in the room, Jessup smoothed his hands along the statutes he stumbled by, until he finally pricked his finger on something sharp. "OW!" he hissed, instinctually bringing his finger into his mouth to lap up the blood. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough, and his blood dripped a bit onto the floor; not to mention that there was also a good amount of it still left on the item he had stabbed himself on. "What was that?" He gasped, around his finger.

"It was my mother's arrow." Atlanta deadpanned, as she watched the crimson liquid drip from the sharp barb. From what she could tell, without getting too close, the arrowhead must have been made of a celestial metal—bronze, perhaps—because it was still sharp, despite how old it must have been. "You must have got yourself pretty good." She worried, as she witnessed the blood form a small pool on the floor; before seeping into the fine crystal.

Jessup nodded harshly. "Yeah, I did…" He hissed, slipping his finger out with a wet _pop__._ The noise resounded eerily throughout the chamber, but he ignored that, because he was too busy digging into his pocket to retrieve a piece of cloth to wrap his injured digit.

The room fell into deafening silence, and soon, the group found themselves on alert. "We're not the only ones in here." Kyle warned, as his eyes darted around the room to seek out the cause of their unease. He found it; or atleast its shadow. The creature was lurking just out of sight, like a hungry predator; waiting and tching them intently with its coal-black eyes.

"It's anticipating our next move." The son of Nyx stated calmly, as he slowly closed in on Katie and Stephanie. After all, there was safety in numbers. Atlanta had pressed herself back to back with Jessup, and slowly guided him towards the rest of the group.

They never made it, because as soon as the redhead had grabbed ahold of the blonde's bleeding hand, the creature lunged with a high-pitched squeal.

Given Atlanta's athleticism; she was easily able to dodge the fierce being with a well-timed forward roll; but, poor Jessup was caught in its claw and carried high-above his peers. "Ahhh! Guys—do something!" He screamed, as the monstrous being flew as high as it could into the air; before throwing him roughly into the statute of yet another beautiful woman. His body shattered the sculpture into pieces, upon impact, and if not for the backpack that he had refused to take off; he would have been badly injured—or worse, killed!

Luckily, before the large beast could swoop down and seize his limp body in her talons, once more; Atlanta had thrown a dagger into its large, dove-like wing. The hideous half-animal, half-woman let out a shriek of pain before escaping into the darkness.

"We have to kill that thing." Stephanie stated matter-of-factly, as she wiggled her collapsed bow out of the quiver she had on her back; quickly kneeling to the ground, she expanded the weapon until it revealed its true form. A metal longbow with intricate engravings carved into it. Truly, it was an amazing weapon; but, after all, it was a gift from Apollo, himself. Pulling a handful of arrows out of the quiver, the brunette got ready to fire upon the enemy.

And she wasn't the only one; as Katie had long since unsheathed her sword and had assumed the defense posture. Kyle on the other hand, had just released his onyx blade from its sleeve; as he had been too preoccupied with watching the movements of the shadows.

Atlanta had pulled her bow from the neat, fiery red, tresses that cascaded gracefully down from the crown of her head—yes, it had been disguised as a banana-clip, clever right? "Keep your wits about you, this may be the first temple; but, that doesn't mean it'll be the easiest." Readying her weapon, she waved for Stephanie to give her some arrows—the brunette had supplied her with just one, and if this were any other situation; the redhead would have been within her right to fuss—and carefully made her way to Jessup's unmoving form.

Standing over his body, Atlanta gave him a few sharp kicks and surveyed the dark suspiciously, as she waited for him to rouse from his slumber. Surprisingly, despite his concussion, the blonde had easily awakened. "Ahh, crap… I feel like I was hit by a truck." He hissed and groaned, as he tried to clamber to his feet.

Almost like a nasty little cockroach that you can't seem to get rid of, the creature had, unfortunately, chosen that very time to reappear. Letting out its battle-cry, the winged creature kicked its strong legs out; and miraculously, its dagger-like feet connected sharply with Atlanta's back despite her best efforts to dogde it. Its impressive weight, coupled with momentum, had knocked the redhead right off her feet better than any punch a Minotaur could throw.

"Unh," She and Jessup grunted in pain, as she landed face first on the blonde's scrawny chest, knocking the wind right out of him. Though, before she had time to apologize, and blame it on the beast, Kyle was yanking her to her feet right in time to get out of the way of the creature's razor-sharp beak.

"Shiiiit," Jessup yowled in pain, as the beak cut through his favorite Sex Pistols tee-shirt, and left a deep gash in his side. "What about me? Damn it…" Rolling onto his side to put pressure on the wound, the blonde wracked his brain for a way to kill the Temple's Guardian. Remembering how sharp Artemis' arrow was, and Stephanie's comment about how huntress' statute was facing in the exact direction that the creature had flew in from; the blonde put two and two together.

_Aha! _He mentally exclaimed, as his thoughts momentarily triumphed over the extreme pain rocketing throughout his abdomen. "ONLY ARTEMIS' ARROW CAN KILL IT!" He screamed, as he listened in on Kyle's grunts and sword swings. Judging by the how swiftly the son of Nyx's blade had cut through the air; he had just barely missed, too.

"WHAT!" Stephanie shouted, as she ducked the claws of the creature. It was amazing how it could almost literally be in two places at once. "Where is it?" She asked, looking around the room for the statute of the Goddess of the Hunt. Emerald eyes quickly located her on the far side of the room, right by Katie; who was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. "Hey! Get the arrow!" She shouted to the petite brunette.

Large, almond-colored eyes darted around before locking onto the shiny arrow in Artemis' hand. Nodding firmly, the daughter of Nike tore into the direction statute with as much speed as she could muster.

The creature seemed to notice her, and halted its assault on Kyle to swoop in after Katie. Letting out a bloodcurdling snarl; the creature bared its severe-looking teeth and ducked its head down to take a bite out of the brunette.

Luckily, at this time, Atlanta had finally relocated and used that one arrow that Stephanie had given her. No one had ever heard a bowstring snapback as hard as it did, when the redhead had released it; and it would have been a little terrifying, if heard in another setting.

"RRRARRGHH!" The creature cried out, as the arrow embedded itself in its back; and as it smashed clumsily into the statute of Hedone. And, for the moment; as the room was drenched in a pregnant silence, the creature seemed to have been defeated.

"That was too easy." Katie squeaked out, as she stood shakily with her hand wrapped firmly around the shaft of Artemis' arrow. It was obvious by the way she held on tightly to the barb, (almost as if it was a lifeline) that she wasn't in the mood to take any chances.

Watching despondently as the creature squirmed and writhed on the floor, Kyle sunk his sword into its back; completely immobilizing it until further notice.

"Only Artemis' arrow can kill it." Jessup repeated breathlessly, as he dragged himself over to where he heard Kyle and the wounded, winged-beast. Leaning on the son of Nyx, when he offered his shoulder, the blonde sighed gratefully. "Thanks."

Meanwhile, Kyle was watching as the creature sniffed out the son of Hermes' blood, in-between its gasps for breath. This creature was truly pathetic. Looking away, the ravenette lifted his head and spotted Katie; who was fruitlessly trying to pull the arrow out of Artemis' grasp. He quietly informed Jessup of this.

The blonde listened intently; before letting himself _feel_ the other four heartbeats in the room. Sure enough, Katie's was the fastest. "Whoa, Kate-Dog, slow your roll." Jessup chuckled painfully, as he tried his best to stop his side from bleeding so profusely. "Hunter…" He regarded Atlanta respectfully, as he motioned towards her mother's statute. "She's your mother; her strength is yours… you have to do it; you're the only one that can."

Atlanta sighed bitterly, before crossing the length of the room in a handful of long, graceful strides, and ripping the arrow out of the sculpture's grip. It absolutely glowed within her grasp; as if it had recognized the power that coursed through her veins, but the redhead ignored it and quickly loaded her bow up. "I'll put it out of its misery." She murmured, before pointing, shooting, and killing the creature in just moments.

Stephanie and Kyle watched silently as the large winged-humanoid burst into a shower of rose petals; before finally disintegrating into nothingness. The arrow came clattering to the ground, still somewhat buzzing with the realization that Artemis' ethereal energy was nearby it.

"So, we kill a—whatever that is—and, all we get is this lousy arrow?" Katie finally said, after a long moment of silence.

"I guess so," Atlanta shrugged; easily hiding her offense to the brunette calling her mother's beautiful creation _lousy_. "Or do you think it has a greater use, later on?" She asked, looking over to Jessup; who nodded dumbly, before flopping gracelessly onto the floor in a heap of limbs. Apparently, his injuries had only just now caught up with him.

* * *

><p>It didn't take them long to find their way back to the salon; really, because they only had to go into one room that was straight down the hall, and once they had returned Stephanie let out a whoop of relief. "That was freakin' crazy! You guys missed out!" She laughed, patting herself on the back as she threw herself into one of the chairs.<p>

Matthew scowled at his half-sister's bragging, but didn't say anything about it as he watched Atlanta and Kyle dump Jessup onto the plush bench. "What happened to him?"

"What do you _think_?" Zoe quipped, flipping through the same five pages of the Vogue magazine she had been reading since she had sat down. "He got his ass kicked."

"Actually, he got attacked by a crazy bird-woman." Katie corrected wisely, as she stood in front of one of the nearby electric fans.

Sky raised her brows, before sitting up in her seat. "Bird-woman…?" She asked curiously, as her mind raced to come up with how said creature would look. "_Oh,_ I am definitely **not** hanging back for the next trial; no way. What's the point of coming along if I don't get to test my abilities?"

Zoe shrugged, before straightening the tiny, silver waistcoat that laid out over her black polo. "You get to sit on your ass and do nothing… Isn't that great?" Crumbling the magazine up in her hands, the ravenette wasted no time tossing it over her shoulder. "By the way, he's not going to die." She said coolly, as she pointed to Jessup (who had gone completely still, after being dropped on the sofa) with a long fingernail that had been polished black.

"Well, that's good to know," Atlanta sighed, taking a seat herself. "—because, we're going to need him, if we're going to get anything done."

They all took a long reprieve, and checked into a nearby hotel; much to the dislike of the others, and it takes until a few days for Jessup to finally stir from his mini-coma. Drool is still trailing down his chin when he bolts upright, and it's a wonder to everyone else how his glasses stay on the whole time. "Wh-whoa… what happened? What did I miss?" He asked frantically, as he started looking around; though, realizing there was nothing to see, he sat back.

"Where do we go next? I don't want to be the only one _not _kicking ass." Matthew said, folding his arms across his chest.

Jessup wiped the corner of his mouth, somewhat embarrassed. "Um… It's either Dionysus or Apollo's trial." Feeling around for his knapsack, (Which was handed to him by Zoe) the blonde produced Artemis' arrow and Aphrodite's Mirror. "We could actually do both of them; since we have these."

Zoe let out a groan, before plopping down onto one of the hotel's beds. "Wow that sounds— BORING as _hell!_ Damn, be good to call me when we do something that isn't PG-13."

* * *

><p><strong>NEXT CHAPTER: Overcoming the Second Challenge.<strong>

**PREVIEW:**

**When Jessup had told them that the dining hall was expansive; he must have been out of his ever-loving mind! Expansive was **_**the**_** understatement of the millennium, as the table was so long, that it twisted and winded so far out of sight, that you probably needed a good-sized pair of binoculars to see anywhere near the end.**

"**How are we supposed to find the guy in a place like this?" Sky complained, holding Aphrodite's mirror out in front, just in case the guardian was hidden underneath the many bodies of the thoroughly debauched. **

**Stephanie shrugged, before readying her weapon. "He's the only naked person in here; that shouldn't be too bad of a clue." Just then, the pair had bumped into Matthew and Katie; who had shrieked loudly, as she totally didn't expect them.**

"**Eep!" She squeaked, as she covered her mouth. It was too late, though, because her shrill cry was already echoing throughout the hall, and incidentally—it woke everyone up. **

"**Damn it…" Matthew growled, before turning to the girls. "Don't just stand there! **_**Run!**_**"**


	3. Challenge 2: Dionysus

**Author's note: Aw, yeah. I'm back with the next chapter ALREADY. *Dons a pair of sunglasses* I was planning on waiting 'till the weekend before I even started writing this, but, hey-I've been inspired, so really, I couldn't take a break from this if I wanted to... **

**But, anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter; as I wrote it from 9:47pm to 2:24am during some of _the _worst Menstrual** **cramps I've had in a long time. WHAT?You didn't want to hear that last part? Oh, well, too bad, 'cause I've already said it! **

**Anyways, before I go, I just wanted to say that the next chapter might not be as long; I mean, this is 7730 words, after all... But, that's just a might, as I really don't know. (Especially, since I haven't started on it yet.) Though, truthfully, I feel like cutting down the length of these chapters; as I've been told by a little birdie that some people will glance over my story, because of the considerable word-count and the least the considerable chapter-count. *Shrugs* I don't really know what to do now. Cookie for your thoughts?**

**(Disclaimer: again, I don't own much. Get off my back.)**

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, they missed the checkout time, and the roach motel ended up charging them an extra twenty bucks; so, ultimately, they decided to stay one more night. Even if it meant getting crawled on by one of the many palmetto bugs, or bothered by the over-intrusive maids.<p>

Though, it wasn't like Jessup was complaining about the hold-up. Not only did it spell a break in the action; so that he could get into detail about the up-coming perils; but, also since it meant that he could let the sizeable, not to mention ghastly-looking, laceration on his side to continue the long and painful healing process.

Despite Stephanie's best efforts to heal the gash that was left by the creature that was wonderfully dubbed 'bird-woman', it appeared to want to heal at its own pace. "I really am okay, Steph..." The blonde had assured her for the umpteenth time, as the daughter of Apollo prepared to sing another Hymn.

"No, it's not! It's been four days; and you're still bleeding yourself dry." The brunette protested, as she pressed the boy further into the tacky floral-printed bedspread.

Matthew scoffed at the little argument that broke out between the two, ('I'm fine' 'No, you're not') and threw himself to the door. "I'm taking a walk." He said over his shoulder, to no one in particular, before disappearing from the cramp suite.

Atlanta watched him go with worried green eyes, before sinking further into the old, overstuffed armchair that rested by the window; which was covered by a thick, dust-laden curtain. It goes without saying that _most_ of the others were eager to get out, and tackle the rest of the temples to complete the rest of the trials; but, she unlike the rest was rather content with a slower pace.

Though, don't get her wrong; it was not that she wanted to hole up in this hole-in-the-wall for any longer, (she already felt obligated to punch a crater into the flimsy tile that lined the dirty shower walls; and if she had to stay another night, she probably would have) it was just that, well, soon enough, they would be visiting Artemis' domain and she wasn't exactly sure that she wanted to go in.

Letting her gaze wander to the celestial arrow that hung out of Jessup's bag, she let her shoulders sag with a sigh—no, she couldn't _not_ go. They would need her. From what Jessup had informed her, and from what she had witnessed, first-hand, during the retrieval of the arrow; she was the only one who could use it.

Wondering if the rest of the items were like that, her eyes locked onto Aphrodite's mirror. It had worked, and pretty well too—it lighted up like nothing she had ever seen before; Katie had compared it to a house that was fully decorated for Christmas in the suburbs, but even that wasn't anywhere near as bright—when Jessup had wielded it; so, perhaps, the arrow was different—enchanted, maybe?

Her fingertips tingled; almost as if they were going numb, as she watched how the intricate engravings in arrowhead seemed to let off an ethereal glow, under the moonlight that poured in from the slit in the curtains.

And Atlanta Hunter can tell you with a firm voice that she had never, ever wanted something more than she wanted to take the arrow for her own. It felt like it was a part of her; more or less, the part of her that she had been missing for all these years. Would it fill the void in her heart that was created due to the lack of love she received from her mother? Nope. But, it would make her feel hella good for having it.

Sinking lower into her chair, as she resisted the strong urge to run the pads of her digits along the sturdy wooden shaft, the redhead sighed. "Damn it..."

"Damn, what?" Zoe asked in a scathing tone, as she eyed the older woman from her place on the tiny, twin-sized bed. She was lying flat on her stomach, with her head rested daintily in the cradle of her hands. There was unreadable look in her onyx eyes; and that made them look all the more abysmal.

Her posture gave off a causal vibe, but something about her general aura was dangerous. Almost like being in the company of a scorpion. You never quite knew when it was going to strike, but, your instincts kept on flashing bright red; like a warning light. Telling you time and time again that you were in grave danger.

It was moments like these, when those surrounding had wished that the daughter of Hades was in a bad mood. That way, they would know whether to avoid her or not.

"You've been sitting there, brooding, all damn night." Zoe stated, twisting her neon-orange curl around her finger. Finally, her countenance was showing some of the twisted emotions that she buried deep within her sub-conscious. "And quite frankly, you're giving _me_ the creeps." Rolling off the bed in one swift movement, the ravenette started towards the archer. "So, look—you haven't been given me any problems, so, being the kind of person I am; I _**might**_ listen to the crap you're dying to unload."

Atlanta regarded the ravenette with a wary look; unsure if this was a trap, and the teen was waiting eagerly for her to let her guard down, so that she could show her what Stygian Iron felt like twisting in her gut. "Uh... thanks, Zoe," She started to say, as the girl stared down at her with an expectant look on her face. "But... I've just got alot on my mind. Sorry, I bothered you."

Zoe rolled her eyes, not at all believing Atlanta's words. "Bullshit." She said, tapping her foot agitatedly. It was clear that she wasn't going to give up until the redhead caved. "I'm not good with these life-time moments," She offered, crossing her arms. "But, I sure as _hell_ don't want you getting your ass killed; because, you've got your head stuck up there."

"What?" Atlanta deadpanned. "... You're worried about me?"

Zoe gagged, (like, literally, _**gagged**_) before punching Atlanta's shoulder harder than was strictly allowed during (somewhat) casual conversations. "Get that worthless thought out of your head." She commanded in a booming voice, as her eyes narrowed menacingly. "I'm not worried, not one bit. I just don't want this to be a freakin' waste of my time."

"So, wait-" Atlanta started to say, but was interrupted by the sound of Katie exiting the now-steamed up bathroom with a contented sigh.

"It might look like a war went on in there," The tiny girl commented amusedly, as she scrubbed her sopping wet hair with a dingy towel. "But, the water is nice and warm." Wiping the run off droplets of water out of her eyes, Katie took in the room.

Stephanie was wrestling Jessup out of his shirt, in a wild attempt to hogtie him to the bedpost. The daughter of Nike trembled, as she forced the kinky thoughts out of her head. She was just trying to subdue him long enough to sing another Hymn; that's all... right.

Sky had fallen fast asleep, in a curl of covers on the floor by the air conditioner. It was amazing how the auburnette could even take a catnap, what with the ruckus and all. Katie was absolutely envious.

Matthew was gone... but, that was obvious—or atleast, not a surprise to Katie. Her lack of shock was partially due to the fact that the oppressive tension that was usually associated with the son of Apollo's presence was completely gone. And, also, because he had been complaining that he wanted to stop wasting time, and head out before the sun had arisen over the horizon.

And, since, they obviously were in no rush to leave; he probably stepped out to let out some frustration. _Hopefully, he didn't go off to do something stupid._

Her pretty almond orbs found Atlanta lounging awkwardly in a living chair; she looked like she had seen a naked Hephaestus dancing the hula. Grunting to hold back the puke that threatened to come up at the thought, Katie noted that Zoe had disappeared to the tiny, unstable-looking veranda.

Kyle, (who had been standing out on the deck since sunset) for whatever reason, had insisted that they stay on the second floor. And now that it was stark-black outside, his line of reasoning was finally, fully-explained.

Up on the second story; the view of L.A was breath-taking. There were virtually no trees (not even those tall, imported palm trees) to hinder the view of the hustle-and-bustle.

Though, obviously, he hadn't one care about the landscape; he just wanted a better lookout point to gaze at the darkness. For unlike the others, he strived for the darkness. But, that shouldn't have come as too much as a surprise, seeing as his mother was the female personification of night, and all.

Watching quietly as Zoe slid the glass door behind her so that she could converse with Kyle in private, Katie felt a trickle in the back of her mind—almost like nagging feeling, only... it was much easier to ignore.

"Katie," Atlanta hissed silently, motioning towards the brunette. When she had toddled over, the redhead caught her by her hand, and pulled her out of the way of the porch door. "Do you think I'm... _brooding_?" Her question came as a complete surprise to Katie.

"What…? Uh—of course not… Why do you ask?" The tiny girl stumbled over her words, as she started into the worried-filled, avocado orbs that seemed transfixed on her own chocolate-colored ones.

Atlanta—realizing with moderate embarrassment and slight mortification, the tight, unrelenting grip that she had on Katie's hand—let out an awkward noise, before releasing her grip. "Um, never mind." She said, before quickly apologizing and darting to the other side of the room.

Katie knitted her brows together with mild bewilderment, before straightening out her clothes and heading towards her bag to locate her hairbrush.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the veranda, Kyle had been staring longingly at the night sky. It looked lovely; like a perfect home—an ultimate resting place, of sorts—well, atleast to him it did.<p>

Zoe, however, found no solace staring up at the stars that danced their celestial dance; nor did she care for the dark, storm clouds that were rolling in. So, she ultimately stopped looking.

Instead, she turned on her heel, and leant back coolly against the rusty rail. It may have looked shoddy, and it may have wobbled quite a bit when the ravenette had initially put her weight against it; but, amazingly, after Zoe had maneuvered herself a little bit, it ceased all of its noise and she was free to rock against it, as if it was as sturdy as a tree trunk.

Neither one of them had exchanged words, just long, lingering glances. And that was odd, because Zoe usually wouldn't shut up.

One time, when their gazes locked, Kyle felt his heart give an unfamiliar flutter. There was no doubt in his mind that, at this very moment, the girl would jump up from her spot and just start yelling at him; as retribution for the days of him talking to the especially friendly Katie Knapp, and, more importantly, for him avoiding her almost every chance he got.

She never did yell; but she did get that murderous look in her eye, as she acknowledged the tension between them.

Anyone else would have recoiled in fear, but the demi-god didn't. 'Cause, really, he wasn't _too_ intimidated by her; and that he thought she never looked better when she seemed on the verge of ripping someone's throat out.

"What the _hell_ is your problem, Kyle?" She growled, clenching her hands around the bars to hold back the flood of fury that threatened to overtake her sense of reasoning.

Kyle shrugged; because that was really the best he could offer. He really wasn't in the mood to fight with her. He just kinda wanted to look into her eyes and pick apart the emotions that boiled fiercely behind them.

The fire seemed to burn ten—no, one hundred times hotter. Zoe let her weak resolve crumble to pieces; and next thing the both of them knew, her hands were flying from the railing and latching onto the collar of Kyle's shirt. "Don't give me that, asshole!" She snarled, as her grip on the fabric tightened, tightened—_**rrrrrrrrriiiiiip!**_ The shirt tore right down the center, like a piece of paper, under her impressive grasp.

Anyone else would be praying to the gods for mercy; but, again, Kyle behaved opposite to the usual, normal reaction, by just staring blankly down at Zoe's fury twisted face. It was amazing, his ability to stay cool under fire; but, what could he say? He had years of training with the—erm—_turbulent_ life he had lived, before arriving at Camp Half-blood.

Zoe's teeth gritted together painfully, as she tried to keep herself from yelling again. Kyle didn't respond well to shouting, and if she wanted information from him, she was going to have to walk on some serious eggshells. She let out a hot breath, before letting her eyes flutter closed. Taking a few more breaths, she started counting backwards from ten—unfortunately, she only made it to seven, before Kyle said something that infuriated her even more.

* * *

><p>Inside the room, Katie, Stephanie and a now-awake Sky had glued themselves to the fight on the other side of the glass. Zoe was going ballistic; attacking Kyle as if he had committed one of the most atrocious acts she had ever seen.<p>

"—and, you said that they liked each other." Sky grimaced, as she watched as the daughter of Hades swung her athletic legs in Kyle's direction. Luckily, the poor guy didn't just stand there and take the beating; but, on the other hand, he didn't fight her back, either.

Stephanie sighed, before disappearing to collect two pristine ten dollar bills from her backpack. Grumbling to herself, the brunette dropped the money into Sky's and Katie's hands, before taking her place around the door, once more. "I could have sworn... they were so partial to each other back at camp?"

"Oh and when was that?" Katie interrupted coolly, as she brushed her hair as straight as it would go. Whether it was a blessing or not, she didn't know; but, if there was one thing she knew for sure was that she had inherited her mother's coarse, curly hair. "Every time I see them, she's trying to send him to the Underworld." She sighed, half because her statement was true, (if not somewhat exaggerated) and half because her hair had taken on a mind of its own, and curled back to its natural state.

Stephanie glared half-heartedly at Katie, (who had dropped her brush onto the floor, so that she could gather her hair into her hands and pull it back, into a high-pony tail) before she pursed her lips. "I'm getting my twenty dollars back." She grumbled, as she observed how, even when it was pulled up, the daughter of Nike's damp tresses still fell gracefully down her back.

How she could put up with hair so long was a mystery.

"Wishful thinking is always good." Sky smirked at the daughter of Apollo smugly, as she offered her casual shrug of her shoulders. "But, does that—" She gestured at the battling pair with a motion of her thumb. "—look like a happy couple to you?"

Katie and Sky laughed until they snorted, Stephanie grimaced as her ego took a hit, Jessup called out from his place on the bed, "Come on, Steph! Untie me!" and Matthew had re-entered the suite, only to be quickly enveloped into the madness.

Whatever Kyle had said to incur Zoe's wrath, must have been down-right offensive, because he was forced to sleep on the veranda that night.

* * *

><p>At Four-twenty-ante meridiem, (Or, AM in layman's terms) everyone waited their turn to shower and get ready for the rough day ahead.<p>

Zoe had put on a loose black, jumper-dress with sleeves up to her elbows, the same leggings and silver waistcoat she had on yesterday. Evidently, aside from the jumper-dress and pair of dark jeans; the only items she had bothered to pack were her knife and an ungodly amount of snack-cakes.

"What the—why... never mind." Stephanie groaned, rubbing her temples, as she watched all the travel-flattened little Debbie's roll onto the floor. The daughter of Apollo was wearing the same leather jacket from yesterday, a plain teal tee-shirt and a pair of dark jeans.

Amusingly, Matthew had the exact same thing on. But, neither of them went to change out of their identical outfits.

Katie had giggled modestly with a hand over her mouth, when she had caught sight of them as she exited the bathroom in her change of clothes; her orange, Camp Half-blood shirt and a pair of khaki, cargo capris. It was no doubt that she had gotten fussed at for putting the shirt on, _"The mortals will flip out, if they see you in that!"_, but ultimately, she didn't change out of it.

Atlanta wore a flirty, cotton smock with a houndstooth-print on it. The shirt seemed to be a little too big at the neckline, as it hung off her shoulders haphazardly; but, judging by the lack of bra-straps, she had intended for the shirt to fit that way. On her lower half was a fitting pair of jeans.

Admittedly, the top was a little too—well—dressy for adventuring; but, that thought didn't cross her mind, when she was picking outfits to wear the other day. She had been digging around her dresser for all-but three seconds when, her green eyes zeroed in on the frilly blouse. Almost instantly, she remembered how much Luke had liked it when she wore it. Filled with the memories and the compliments that went along with the smock, she snatched it out of the drawer and stuffed it into her bag.

Now, standing in it, she was filled with a familiar warmth, coupled with just a bit of mourning. Letting out a sigh, she crossed the room and knocked on the bathroom door. "Jessup, you're going to use up all the hot water!" She called, her knocks taking on a more urgent tone.

Matthew shot her approving looks, as he watched the way the fabric hugged against her figure; but, she promptly ignored it.

Sky sat on the bed with yesterday's clothes on, and her change of clothes wrapped in her arms, as she waited for the blind adolescent to exit the bathroom. "You'd think he went and died under the spray." She joked to Kyle, (who was standing as far away from Zoe as the tiny suite allowed) as she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.

Kyle shrugged, but said nothing. If Jessup had so easily survived being thrown from atleast ten feet in the air into a sturdy stone statute, and then cut from rib to rib; it would have been one _hell_ of a waste for him to drown in the shower.

As if on cue, the pitter-patter of the shower water hitting the floor ceased, and moments passed. Evenutally, the bathroom door slid hesitantly open to reveal Jessup, glasses and all.

The blonde stepped out in a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt bearing a skateboard on it. "S-sorry," He apologized, stepping out of the way so Sky could get dressed.

If anyone had been paying attention, they would have noted that his cheeks—as well as the rest of his skin—were flushed a dark shade of crimson. Though, when Stephanie pulled him off to the side to ask about the next trial, he waved her off with an embarrassed croak; immediately her mind raced to a rather _licentious_ explanation for sudden his timidity.

Soon enough, Sky was exiting the bathroom squeaky-clean. She was wearing a cute pair of black, knee-high jogging pants, two orange and yellow tank tops that were layered over one another, and a dark, mahogany sweater to pull it all together. She was the embodiment of autumn fashion.

Now that everyone was ready to go, Jessup took in a deep breath, and got ready to fill them in. "Because we lost a good chunk of time waiting for my injuries to heal; we might as well split up and tackle these trials at the same time." Pausing when he noticed the heated stares he got, the blonde sniffed indignantly—as if saying _screw off_! "Sadly, I can't be at both places at once; so, I'm going to have to trust that you guys follow my advice to the 'T',"

Everyone stood on edge, as Jessup stumbled over to his bag to produce Aphrodite's mirror.

"In Dionysus' temple, there is a large, expansive table. It will be decorated with the finest dishes, and on those, the greatest assortments of food and wine, you'll ever see. Whatever you do, no matter how hungry or thirsty you may feel, you mustn't eat or drink ___**anything**_," He explained sternly, as his lips thinned into a firm, straight line.

"Why not," Katie asked lamely, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"It's poisoned." He said matter-of-factly. "And you'll need all your strength when the guardian makes themself known. Unlike 'bird-woman', this creature is fast, strong and _extremely_ hungry; and I couldn't stress that anymore."

It was Stephanie's turn to ask questions. "What does it look like?"

Jessup shrugged. "Pssh… like I know. HELLO, I'm _blind_." He said sarcastically, as he tapped the lens of his sunglasses for effect. "But, from what I've heard... It comes in two forms; one is a Leopard, and it's a nasty creature—if you've ever watched (Or listened to) the discovery channel, you'd know. Though, luckily in this form; he's vulnerable to attack, make sure to cut his jugular, or else, you'll be fighting him for quite some time; or atleast till he shape shifts."

"Ahh—and that brings me to his second form. He will be a handsome man; blonde hair, brown eyes, built like a roman soldier—"

Zoe scoffed, effectively interrupting Jessup's tangent. "No offense, but; mind keeping your raging hard-on for this guy under wraps?"

The blonde blushed, taken aback. "Uh—sorry..." Clearing his throat, he continued. "In his human form, he's completely invincible; no weapon, celestial or not, can kill him, as he's under the gods' curse. You are better off evading him, until he transforms—or else, he'll kill you with a strike of his hand."

"Now, the reason this mirror is such an important item for this temple, is that the man—Acanthus—for whatever reason, is unable to gaze upon his own reflection. It acts kind of like with Medusa's gaze,"

Atlanta claimed a seat nearby, and crossed her legs. "So, he'll turn into stone after seeing himself?"

Jessup nodded firmly. "In a sense... he won't physically turn into stone; it's just that his visage will completely stun him,"

Zoe snorted. "Talk about self-image issues."

The blonde pressed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, before continuing. "At that time, even his immortal human-form is susceptible to attack. But, no one knows how long the mirror's hold will have him. So, I wouldn't make it my top priority to kill him when he's like that. "

"But, in all seriousness; if you can avoid a fight with him, you _**must**_. He, unlike the other guardian, doesn't come looking for a fight and—if you don't disturb him—will stay on the far side of the room. What he does over there... Dionysus didn't say, but, I'm assuming that he's very much enjoying his dinner."

"At any rate, you'll need to leave the dining hall; you'll do this by using Aphrodite's mirror, as only its light can illuminate your path out. Point it at chairs, tables, the paintings; anything and everything could be the way out. Just make sure not to point it at the sufferers."

Matthew rolled his eyes. This was taking a lot longer than it needed to. "And what are the sufferers?"

"WHO," Jessup corrected with a dramatic wave of his arms. "They _were_ the travelers preceding you guys. What, did you think we are the only ones attempting this? Please, there were thousands of individuals before us taking these trials on for riches, fame, or immortality—whatever floated their boats. Unfortunately, they were either killed by Acanthus, or they surrendered to the hysteria induced from drinking the wrong chalice of wine. You'll find them in heaps in the chairs, strewn across the table, even on the floor."

"AND, the reason why you shouldn't point that mirror at them, is because they may re-awaken. The sufferers are relentless, cannibalistic, and attack in large groups. I'm sure it can go without saying, that they _will_ rip you to pieces faster than you could even scream for help."

Katie shivered at Jessup's grim tone-of voice. "S-So, as long as we don't flash the mirror at them; we'll be fine?" She asked hopefully.

"Yup..." Jessup nodded, before pausing and tilting his head in thought. "Oh, right! Don't forget—_**no loud sounds**_, unless you want to attract both the sufferers and Acanthus."

Kyle finally spoke up to ask the one question that no one had asked. yet. "What are they guarding?"

The blind son of Hermes' broke out in a smile. Finally, someone wants to know. "They're collectively guarding Dionysus' Bushel of Golden Grapes, of course." When the room grew deathly quiet, as if they others were wondering why anyone would go through the trouble to get some damn _**grapes**_, the blonde sighed. "The Golden Grapes are more useful than you guys think. For one; we need to plant them in Demeter's temple's garden's celestial soil, and two; if eaten, the consumer will temporarily become invincible."

His words did help alot to plot out ones' reasoning for taking on Dionysus' challenge. "So, when are we leaving?" Sky asked anxiously, as she slid off the bed and moved to collect Aphrodite's mirror.

Jessup shrugged lamely. "You guys are to go before sunrise; after all, Dionysus' temple is a ways away from here. Matthew and Stephanie, you two have free reign to drive the Sun Chariot..." At his words, the half-siblings immediately began to bicker over who was going to drive. "Katie, I want you to go with them."

The tiny brunette almost jumped out her skin, when Jessup said her name. "What, why me," She squirmed nervously in her place on the filthy, carpeted-floor. While Katie usually wasn't one for shooting down challenges; even a seasoned hero would quaver in their pretty, bronze sandals at the thought of facing Acanthus.

"Because… I feel that you're the only one that will take my advice, word for word." Jessup confessed, a gentle smile forming on his face. "Please?" He quickly added, with a cute pout. "I bet it would get done _alot_ faster if you were there."

Katie let her shoulders sag, as she let his words sink in. He was challenging her, and she knew it. But, despite knowing that he was baiting her, (stringing her along like a helpless fish) she couldn't outright decline. It was as if her very blood was violently crying out for victory. Damn you, Nike. "Ugh… fine." She conceded, with a bow of her head.

"Good. Then you should be heading out."

True to their word, the four collected their bags and Aphrodite's mirror before heading out; and just in time too, because the sunrise would have been late if they had dawdled any longer.

The remaining demi-gods decided to catch the remaining hours of sleep, before checking out and making a bee-line for the closest bus-stop; they would have to get to the Sacramento airport to catch the next, affordable, flight to Miami, Florida.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Matthew and the others had made better time getting to their location. From California to Colorado and it was barely light out. To top it off, the temple's entrance was actually extremely easy to find. Instead of being some cushy salon that blended in with the surrounding buildings, Dionysus' sanctuary was lamely disguised as the town's only bar.<p>

Stephanie had stared slack jawed, for what seemed like hours, as she stared up at the neon signage that hung over the door, (a bushel of gold grapes) from the passenger's seat of the Sun Chariot. "If he was any more obvious, I'd eat my own hat."

Sky laughed in agreement, as she pulled herself out of sleek sports car. "Would you prefer it to be hard to find?" She chuckled a little harder, when the daughter of Apollo shook her head dramatically in response. "Alright, then…"

As they started towards the bar from the tiny parking lot, Matthew was half expecting it to be closed like** '****La Beauté'** had been; to his surprise, it was not. But, eerily enough, there just was not one soul inside—though, that could have been easily contributed to the fact that it was early in the morning, and that even the worst of Alcoholics waited to atleast high-noon.

Once they had all stepped inside the scantly lit pub, the door slid closed behind them with a sharp ring of the overhead bell. Unfortunately, for the group, the barkeep had decided to lock the door when he stepped out; so as soon as it had closed, they were effectively trapped inside until he returned.

No matter how many times he threw his sturdy frame into the door, Matthew wasn't able to knock it down. In fact, it didn't even budge! _"Shit." _The older teen hissed, as he gripped his throbbing shoulder.

"Forget it, Matt." Stephanie said with a hint of worry in her voice, as she caught him by his injured arm. "We have to keep going."

Her half-brother fixed her with a burning gaze, before nodding firmly. She was right. They had to pick up the pace if they were going to get anything done. They flipped over chairs, raided the counter—they searched practically every inch of the tavern, and yet—they didn't find anything that looked remotely like an entrance.

Sky was about to curse Jessup for all he was worth, when she noticed how the radiant beam from Aphrodite's mirror shone through the thin material of Katie's tacky, messenger-tote. Slapping her forehead for her lack of thought, the redhead crossed the room and claimed the looking glass with both her hands.

"_Only its light can illuminate our path__**,**_" She blurted out, when Katie eyed her suspiciously. Holding the ornate mirror at arms-length, the demi-goddess of the Southern winds directed its beam onto random objects in the room. "_Point it at chairs, tables, the paintings; anything and everything could be the way out._" She murmured, continuing to reference Jessup's earlier statement.

Everyone else had long since ceased their search, as they waited for Sky to point the beam at the hidden entrance. Luckily, they didn't have to wait much longer, because, soon as the stream of light had hit a portrait of a beautiful woman posing provocatively in a buttoned-down, white oxford shirt. And, what would they know; it collasped away to reveal the door.

Stephanie scoffed at Dionysus' bad taste in wall-hangings; but, decided to leave any or all scathing comments to herself until they had finished his trial.

The air inside the temple's entrance was stale and hot, (definitely not Sky's cup of tea, but if she wasn't complaining, no one else was) not to mention, there was hint of danger lingering around like a bad odor that you just couldn't get rid of.

Untangling himself from the anxious energy the hung heavy in the atmosphere surrounding them, Matthew signaled for Katie to follow him into the next room.

Another thing that this temple didn't have in common with the first; aside from its humid air and lack of frilly adornments, was that there were two hallways instead of one.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Stephanie whispered, sounding breathless (but, mostly exasperated) as she watched the two creep off into the dark corridor to the right. Scowling when both Matthew and Katie failed to acknowledge her, the brunette turned back to lock gazes with Sky. "You still got that mirror?"

Sky nodded dumbly, unsure what to say in a moment like this, as she held the hand mirror in Stephanie's line of sight. "I guess we're going down the other hallway, huh?"

"Yup," The younger girl nodded, before kneeling to the ground and producing her quiver from her backpack. She did _not_ want to be caught without her weapon this time around. Pulling her bow back into its true state, she motioned towards the dark hall. "Ladies first..." She grinned.

Sky rolled her turquoise eyes, as she pulled a feather from her hair. Apparently, she, like Atlanta, had disguised her weapon as a hair accessory. Her sword 'swift' was a beautiful creation. On one side of the blade was flat and sharp; just like any other knife, but on the otherside—it was jagged and layered; much like the feather of a magnificent bird.

9 out of 10 times, Stephanie was just fine with being an archer; in fact, she couldn't see herself using anything other weapon, but when she gazed upon Sky's sword for the first time; she found herself wondering what it would be like to wield something that powerful. The daughter of Notus' sword wasn't made of Celestial Bronze or Stygian Iron.

It was literally the physical manifestation of the energy that flitted through the air.

Unfortunately, though; due to the stale air in the room, Swift could not reveal its true form, and Sky had ended up cursing her luck and putting it back amongst the assortment of feathers in her hair. Gripping Aphrodite's mirror like a lifeline, Sky (followed closely by Stephanie) had ventured down the dark hall. The dimly lit nature of the large corridor wouldn't have been too bad for either one of the girls, if they were in any other situation; but, with the thought that Acanthus could jump out at any moment and punch a hole straight through their chest, they hurried to the light at the end of the tunnel as quickly as they could.

Once they had entered the next room, Sky gasped. When Jessup had told them that the dining hall was expansive; he must have been out of his ever-loving mind! Expansive was _the_ understatement of the millennium, as the table was so long, that it twisted and winded so far out of sight, that you probably needed a good-sized pair of binoculars to see anywhere near the end.

Though, that flub up aside, he was pretty darn accurate in describing the banquet-hall. Beautiful tapestry, which ranged in colors from spiceberry to rubicund, hung down from ceiling like a waterfall of the finest wines. The hundreds of opulent chairs that accompanied the HUGE table were sturdy and nicely crafted. It looked fit for a king.

Also as Jessup had said; the table was decorated with expensive dishes and mouthwatering delicacies. Luckily, they had stopped at MacDonald's before they came here, elsewise, she would be tempted to steal a bite of the succulent turkey leg that was sitting all alone on a golden dish. Walking cautiously alongside Stephanie, Sky had noticed how the cutlery seemed to have lost some of its gloss, the closer to it she got.

Wondering if it was a trick of the light, or not, the redhead almost let out a scream when she stumbled over something. Sky mentally shouted every swearword in the book, as she worked diligently to keep from making any undue noise. Luckily, for the both of them, given the older girl's feather-lightness, she was able to stay absolutely quiet.

The demi-goddess was silently heaving for breath, when she looked down to see what she had stumbled over. Her face turned completely green from the tip of her hair line to the point of her chin, as she stared down at the severed arm below her. It was still twitching!

Backing away as fast as she could, Sky bumped into Stephanie and almost let out a startled cry. The daughter of Apollo gave her a sympathetic look, (as if to mentally project, _'yeah, I'm terrified too'_) before continuing the trek from the one end of the table to the other.

The redhead evened out her breathing, before aiming Aphrodite's mirror at different fixtures in the room. Either out of extreme bad luck, or the sudden wrath of the gods, the beam hit and bounced off one of the gold chalices and next thing they knew, a monstrous howl echoed throughout the feasting chamber. Sky gasped silently, before pressing the glass against her chest. "Crap, sorry." She hissed quietly, when Stephanie gave her a look that could only read as—'WTF!'

As they continued onwards, Stephanie found herself on full-alert. Apparently, Sky had gone and woke Acanthus up without even trying, and now she had to be ready to pump him full of arrows. Looking over her shoulder, she bit her tongue to keep from freezing with fear. Behind them, lounging drowsily in one of the many chairs was a tall, muscular man with a bronze tan and sun kissed, honey blonde hair. Damn, she wished the others were here right now.

Sky seemed to have noticed the way the brunette had bristled, and found herself glancing quickly over her shoulder. It was no surprise to anyone when her head had snapped back faster than a speeding bullet. There was a grim, fearful look on Sky's face, and Stephanie found herself jogging to keep up with the pace the redhead had set. Obviously, she was trying to put as much distance between herself and the creature.

He had disappeared from sight after they had gotten a good handful of chairs away, and Stephanie's mind was racing for an idea. _Aha!_ She remembered what Jessup had said about Acanthus seeing his own reflection. Catching Sky by the hook of her arm, Stephanie forced her to kneel on the floor beside her. _"Hey, I have a plan."_ She whispered, before quickly reminding the other demi-goddess of what the blonde had told them earlier. When the redhead was nodding in understanding, the daughter of Apollo quickly filled her in on her plan to slay Acanthus.

After running the plan by Sky a few more times, the brunette quickly peaked her head out to get a good few of the chair the creature had been in, and to her dismay, he wasn't in it. "Ugh, crap… He gone." She groaned, as she pulled the both of them to their feet.

"How are we supposed to find the guy in a place like this?" Sky complained, anxiously, while holding Aphrodite's mirror out in front; just in case the guardian had decided to spring out of nowhere. Hmm… maybe he was hidden somewhere underneath the many bodies of the thoroughly debauched; just waiting for either of them to get too close, so that he could pull in? Surely, they wouldn't be rescued in time.

Stephanie shrugged, before readying her weapon. "He's the only naked person in here; that shouldn't be too bad of a clue." Just then, as they clumsily stumbled around, looking for any signs of Acanthus; the pair had bumped into Matthew and Katie. The tiny girl didn't take their unexpected meeting too well. Before she could stop herself, she shrieked loudly.

"Eep!" She squeaked, moments later, as she covered her mouth with the hand that hadn't been holding her sword. Unfortunately, it was too late. Because, her shrill cry was already echoing throughout the hall, and incidentally—it had woke _everyone_ up.

Watching as the husks that had formerly belonged to kings and scholars aplenty rose from their seats, heaps, and tangles, the group backed up. "Damn it…" Matthew growled, as he noticed that Acanthus was amongst the horde of the living dead; and was racing towards them at neck-break speeds. His harden green eyes darted from corner to corner; he found that there was no way out. Having no time to think—just to react, react, react!—he turned his head slightly towards the girls. "Don't just stand there! _Run!_"

They wasted no time turning on their heels and darting towards the door. Unfortunately, there was a large assembly of the sufferers standing there, so ultimately, they found themselves skidding to a halt.

_They were done for. _Or atleast, that's what any other person would think. Sky had remembered at that time that their only way out of a bind like this, was by using the mirror. She had all but forgotten the thing was in her hand, because she had been gripping it so tight that her knuckles went white. Holding the Aphrodite's looking glass up for all to see, the redhead marveled at the scene that played out in front of her.

All the creatures froze, as if someone had hit the universal pause button. And it would have been cool to look at, if she wasn't still in grave danger.

"Come on! Let's go!" Matthew barked, as he caught Katie by the hand and took off.

Sky was about to ask why they were about to run through the crowd of creatures, when she noticed the exit door had been revealed when she had shone the light at the horde, and that it was just to their left, by a bust of Zeus. Drawing in sharp breaths, the redhead began fighting through the crowd of immobilized immortals to get to the exit.

Well enough, the door drew nearer and nearer, and soon Katie was beating it open with the sole of her shoe. The tiny trapdoor eventually gave way to the abuse, and the daughter of Nike was able to crawl in. From there, Stephanie was (forced) to go next; leaving just Matthew and Sky. The son of Apollo yelled for the redhead to catch up, but unfortunately, even with all the adrenaline pumping through her blood stream, she couldn't pick up her pace if she tried.

"SKY," The brunette yelled, just as Acanthus sprung back to life and rammed through the crowd of statute-still sufferers. The powerful man was charging at her as fast as his legs could carry him; and at some point, he shifted into his Leopard form.

The girl knew she wasn't going to make it, and was surely going to be killed if she kept on running. So, with cat-like reflexes, she spun gracelessly on her heel and aimed Aphrodite's mirror at the immortal man just in time for him to reach out and slice a good chunk of her hair clean off—with his fingertips no less!

The hall lit up completely with the incandescent beam emitting from the looking glass, and Matthew had to shield his face to keep his eyes from melting out of his head. Grunting as the bright light assaulted his eyes; even with the cover of his eyelids, the brunette angled his head away from the shine.

Soon, the light had faded and the room had grown silent. Matthew let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, before opening his eyes. The sight before him was less gruesome than he had expected.

Sky was frozen (from shock, he guessed) in a valiant pose; half kneeling, half standing with one hand on the leopard's thick head and the other holding the handle of Aphrodite's now-broken mirror firmly in its place inside of Acanthus' neck. And judging by the way the blood gushed out onto her hands, before trailing down and dripping onto the floor, she had served the jugular vein; just like Jessup said to do.

It took a few moments, but eventually sound and movement returned to the room, as Acanthus had begun to disintegrate like the other creature had done. Though, instead of rose petals, he bursts into a splash of wine, before completely disappearing.

Sky hit the floor with a gasp, (as all the wind was knocked out of her) but she didn't stay there for long, as Matthew was quickly tugging her to her feet and gesturing for her to climb into the escape hatch.

The redhead obeyed, despite the pain that was coursing throughout her fatigued body. Getting down, she crawled into the tiny space until she entered the next room. It was eerily similar to the one she had just left, except, it felt safe in here.

Stephanie and Katie rushed to her side when they saw that she was bleeding from the uncountable number of tiny, razor-sized cuts that were littered across the visible expanse of her skin. "Are you okay?" The daughter of Nike worried. "What happened?"

Sky let out a tired sigh, as exhaustion took a hold of her body. "Aphrodite's mirror exploded." She yawned straightforwardly, before her eyes fluttered closed.

Stephanie stared flabbergasted, until Matthew scuttled into the room. When she asked, he parroted what Sky had said, and the daughter of Apollo found herself worrying about the quality of the gods' _special_ objects.

"Did you get it?" Matthew asked, waving off his half-sister's worry.

Stephanie put a hand on her hip, before bringing Dionysus' Bushel of Golden Grapes into view. "What would be the point of coming here, if I forgot to snag it off the table?"

* * *

><p>The group eventually made their way out of Dionysus' temple, (and out of the bar for that matter) and visited a nearby convenience store for water—<em>soda<em>—few food items, and some iodine to clean up Sky's wounds.

They were sitting in the parking lot, when Katie leant back on the hood, and looked up at the partially cloudy blue sky. "How do you think the others' did?"

Stephanie shrugged. "I don't know, but I feel like I've been cheated. How did I—the daughter of Apollo—miss out on going to his sanctuary?"

"It's because you're an idiot." Matthew slipped in, as he walked passed them.

The brunette couldn't resist the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "LOSER," She called out from across the parking lot. Crossing her arms when he ignored her, the girl raked her hands through her hair; catching some of the golden strands as she went. "Next time, I'm driving the friggin' car."

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: Illuminating the Path to the Next Challenge.<strong>

**Preview: **

**Atlanta quavered violently as she tried to get the door open. No matter how many times she fiddled with the lock, no matter how many times she completed the stupid riddle that was inscribed on the door; the room just kept on filling with the that fine, golden sand that had suffocated that last adventurer that was in here.**

**"Um, not to rush you or anything princess, but—WILL YOU HURRY THE **_**HELL**_** UP?" Zoe bellowed venomously, as she sunk further and further into the ocean of gleaming, gold powder. She was submerged from the waist down, and if not for Kyle swooping in and wiggling her out of the almost water-like sand, she would have been taken under.**

**The both of them were panting after Zoe was pulled onto a more solid platform, but neither of them said anything to one another. Perhaps, what had happened between them earlier had their strained relationship _alot _worse than a stupid altercation ever would.**

**Jessup was still hanging upside down from the ceiling, when he heard (and felt) something hiss menacingly. "Aw, crap." He deadpanned, before wiggling fruitlessly against his fastenings. **

**First Apollo had to put that cool-looking lyre out, just to trick him, so that he could get hogtied yet again. (Though, this time, he was suspended in mid-air. Woohoo!) And now, he's going to torture him with snakes for his absolutely stupidity and lack of self-preservation? Ugh! Sometimes Jessup had to wonder what kind of temple Apollo had in mind, before he had this one built.**


	4. Challenge 3: Apollo Part One

**A\N: Okay, first of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to update. As you know, I hit a wall with the plot and then from there, I had some major writer's block—**_**and then from there,**_** school started. And what would you know! My sisters are starting college, along with that; so they hogged the computers and my support. So, honestly, I haven't had much time to devote to this. Sorry you guys. **

**But, enough of that… Like I said in that other chapter, **_(which I'm going to get rid of, in a sec)_** I **_**was**_** going to post this on Friday, but when I really sat down and read that version, I cringed. I thought, no way, I want the readers to have just as much of a say in the plot as I do. So, I decided to leave everything open until some research has been done. And it's needless to say that I scraped that whole chapter.**

**Though, worry not, my dear readers! This one is sufficiently sized, and by that, I mean that it's easily the longest chapter yet; which is why I had to split it up into two parts. Ha, ha. Hopefully, next time, I won't go overboard. I hate posting things in halves.**

**I was going to leave out the Disclaimer, but I don't own any of the paintings mentioned. But, I do own the imaginary hostel; whose name I won't spoil. Yeah, so, thank you for reading, thank you for letting me use your characters. Hopefully, by Hermes' trial, **_**we **_**will have assembled a well enough plot. So, that I can move onto the second story and stuff… **

**Characters in this chapter: **_Zoe Hutton, Kyle Anderson, Jessup Doyle and Atlanta Hunter._

**Hmm, is that all? Oh, right, one more thing. I LOVE YOU ALL! :D **

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><p>Their flight had been delayed four times, and they had slept in the airport two nights in a row, so, it goes without saying that the quartet of demi-gods were not in a very good mood. It didn't help that, as they passed through the security check point, Jessup set off each and every alarm he passed.<p>

The Airport's security guards were unquestionably_ irritated_, (to put it nicely) by the time they wanded the blonde, patted him head to foot, and sent him on through the metal detector for the seventh time and—surprise, surprise! The machine went off again!

The aggravated groans that everyone had let out, could probably be heard from across the world—_maybe, even on Mount Olympus, too?_—and both sides had to exercise every ounce of their willpower to keep from over-reacting. The demi-gods wanted to tear through the crowd that was forming just passed the checkpoint, and board the plane before it left; while the security just wanted to get Jessup out of their hair.

"It's got to be the machine." One of the burly guards—his nametag, upon further inspection, read 'Jim'—said, moments later, as he dragged Jessup back from whatever room he had taken him to. "We've had this kid strip down to his birthday suit, and we found nothing."

Obviously, the situation was more than peculiar.

The blonde hadn't had a spec of metal on his person, (not even a quarter in his pocket) and yet, the contraption was determined to holler and beep as if he did. If they didn't know better, it would have seemed that the metal detector was out to get him.

And at this point, that seemed like the only logical explanation for what was going on. What other reason would they have, if they thought otherwise? The rest of them had managed not to trip of the alarms, but, miraculously, he did.

Surely, even though they had their weapons disguised as flimsy accessories or tacky tchotchkes; couldn't the machine still detect that they were made of metal?

Zoe was beginning to suspect that the prick was doing this—whatever it was—on purpose. Gritting her pearly-whites when all the security guards huddled together, and began looking over the metal detector, (which, by now, had begun to sound off like a broken record with that annoying _**BEEP**_, much to the dismay of _everyone _within earshot) the daughter of Hades lost her temper and shouted swears at them until her face turned red. "HOW THE _HELL,_ DO YOU ALL STILL HAVE YOUR JOBS; IF YOU CAN'T FIX THE DAMNED THING?"

Standing beside the seething ravenette was Atlanta; who had her face buried in her hands. She was completely mortified. How were they going to make it to Miami, if they got kicked out of the airport; because Zoe couldn't keep from acting out? Actually, when she thought about it—how were they going to get there, if they couldn't even get on the plane that was leaving in five minutes?

Feeling the weight of despair drop into her stomach, the redhead hardly noticed that the machine had ceased its song. In fact, she hadn't dared to look up, until Kyle was lightly elbowing her in the side. Peering cautiously through the slits between her fingers, what she saw next shocked her.

Jessup had just walked through the metal detector, once again, and this time—it hadn't gone off! Atlanta almost cried with relief when the security had let him pass on through without doing...well, anything besides scowling and cursing under their breath, really.

"Ooh, that Jim guy has such cold hands! I think I lost my innocence, letting him feel me up like he did." The blonde joked lamely, with a comical shiver, when he stumbled over to them with his bag haphazardly hanging off his bony, little shoulder. He looked thoroughly disheveled, so there was no doubt that he had, in fact, been frisked.

Silence fell over the group, and Jessup squirmed a bit when he felt the heated gazes of his companions. Knowing exactly why they were glaring, aside from the fact that they were already grumpy, the blonde shrugged his shoulders with feigned nonchalance. "My glasses have metal frames."

Kyle stood firmly with his arms folded across his chest, as he stared down at the boy. He was dead-tired, and now that they got that whole situation out of the way, couldn't wait to board the plane. "Why didn't just you take them off?" He asked, as he watched the tiny adolescent stretched the hem of his shirt upwards, so that he could rub the fog off of his lenses.

Come to think of it, in the entire time that anyone has known Jessup; (even Atlanta, who had known him since his first day in camp) he's never taken those damned glasses off. And no matter how many times _anyone_ had begged, he always said that he would rather do (un-repeatable, and not to mention, Rated-R) things to lord Zeus, than take his sunglasses off.

Most were wise not to argue with him; not because he had convinced them or anything, but, because of the graphic nature of the things he said he would do instead. But, a few times, someone had been silly enough to try to wrestle him out of his spectacles. Needless to say that their efforts were wasted, and ultimately, they were treated to a delightful story (that was described in picturesque detail) about how he would fiercely bed Aphrodite, if it meant that his shades would stay perpetually stuck on his face.

"My eyes look disgusting... do you think I want anyone to see them bobbing around?" Jessup argued, unconvincingly, as he readjusted his knapsack over his shoulder, once more. The poor shoulder bag had been searched and turned inside out several times, as the exasperated security tried desperately to locate the object that set off the alarms time and time again.

"You are the worst frickin' liar, I have ever met." Zoe growled, before shoving her bag into the blonde's arms. "You wasted so much time dawdling; just because you wanted to be a total asshole!" She lunged at him; prepared to put the little snot in a full-nelson, but was quickly pulled off by Atlanta.

"Our plane is leaving in two minutes! Knock it off." The redhead chided, sternly, as she pulled the daughter of Hades along. Despite the ravenette's heated protesting and furious squirming, the archer asserted her superior strength over the tiny, yet still menacing, teen.

* * *

><p>They were late boarding the plane, but that was better than missing it all together, but incredibly, their seats hadn't been taken. Though, since things never exactly went to plan, they ended up in the same aisle as a talkative (not to mention lecherous) old businessman and his guy pals.<p>

To avoid an altercation, Atlanta exercised control over her already strained emotions, and tried not to notice the way they were regarding her with those heated stares; when she reached up to store her bag in the overhead compartment that rested above her seat, and her shirt rode up to reveal a gorgeous patch of alabaster skin.

"Hey, Atlanta," Jessup asked in a low, but welcoming, voice, as he just narrowly avoided bumping into the demi-goddess. "Mind putting this up there?" Lifting his bag into sight, he smiled gratefully when she took it from him and began stuffing it up there as well. Evidently, the rucksack was heavier and bulkier than she could have even imagined; so, it was a bit of a struggle to get it settled in.

_What in the world was in it?_ She didn't know, but didn't bother to ask, as she got to work shoving and abusing the luggage into place; so that it wouldn't magically find its way out and onto some poor guy's head. As she flexed and stressed the muscles in her arms, the redhead was sure that old men seated adjacent to her and Jessup had been staring long enough to count all the tiny, obscure freckles that were lightly painted on the lower expanse of her back.

"Excuse me," She finally said, with a clipped, and rather incensed tone of voice that was fierce enough to scare a mountain lion, when she turned around to see that the oldest of the men, (a gentlemen with a salt and pepper mane that flowed down his shoulders, and a pinstriped suit) was making rather lewd gestures at her to his friend.

"Need anything, kid?" The grey-fox said coolly, as he reclined comfortably in his seat. Admittedly, the longer Atlanta (or anyone else) stayed in his presence, the less comfortable she felt. There was just something about his tempestuous aura that told the redhead that she was lucky that he was in a good mood.

Raking her fingers through her crimson tresses, Atlanta let out a low breath, before straining her throat, so that she might force out something polite to say to the pervert. (Perhaps, she could tell him to _screw off_ or _mind his business_... yeah, because that sounded so polite.) "Actually," She started to say, but, was quickly interrupted when Zoe came tearing through the aisle with a stolen mobile trapped between her mitts.

Admittedly, while Atlanta was furious with the ravenette for—well, being a no good thief and a rabble-rouser; she was relieved that the daughter of Hades had provided her with a sufficient distraction. Because, in all honesty, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to say to the man, so Zoe's outburst triggered a delightful turn of events.

In the midst of the commotion of the flight attendants and security rushing up and down the aisle, looking for Zoe, the redhead slipped into her seat, (which took a lot of maneuvering, because Jessup had taken the seat by the aisle) and began counting the hours until they arrived in Miami.

"Gods, we couldn't get there fast enough." The redhead whispered to Jessup, as she observed the old man and his friend's continuing their naughty jokes and her expense. And, really, she wasn't even looking for it. It's just that, she could see them, plain as day, without even having to turn her head. Surely, it goes without saying that, her peripheral vision was amazing (perhaps even better than some of her fellow demi-gods) thanks to Artemis.

Jessup nodded understandingly, as he felt Kyle's presence nearby. It was as if the teen was trying to creep passed them, or something, because his footfall was almost soundless. And as the blonde listened for him with baited breath, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the older boy was trying to evade them.

With his head bowed and his bag clutched to his chest, the son of Nyx easily snuck off to the back of the plane, to find a seat that wasn't encased in such a large group of people; mainly, so he could get some sleep.

Luckily for Kyle, he found that lucky seat in the far back, but unluckily; it was the seat by Zoe. How she had stolen away from the security, despite their best efforts to locate her, was anyone's guess. The young demi-god was tempted to turn back, find his original seat, and take his chances with the screaming baby and the mother who ignored her, but before he could turn around to book it; the daughter of Hades gestured him over, and _growled_ him to sit next to her, when he didn't move fast enough.

_How charming. _

Atlanta, meanwhile, found herself unwillingly listening to Jessup's—erm—rousing cover of _Knights of Cydonia_, and when she had asked him why he started to sing that song, of all the songs he knew, he simply told her that that was one of Stephanie's favorite songs. "No one's gonna take me aliiiiiive!" The blonde crooned, as he rocked along to the song that was playing in his head on repeat.

The daughter of Artemis sighed, before rubbing her temples. She didn't know what was worse; Jessup's singing or the old men. Sticking her fingers in her ears, the woman shifted down into her seat. "Gah, JD...! Couldn't you _atleast_ sing it _**without**_ making that guitar sound with your mouth?" Narrowing her forest green eyes at the adolescent, (who was wailing like it was nobody's business) she gave him a sharp elbow in the side. "You sound like your gargling marbles."

And when one of the humorous fellows who sat adjacent to them, butted into their conversation with a quick, "—or balls," and a hearty laugh, Atlanta didn't exactly feel inclined to tell him to shut his trap.

Jessup scoffed, (his face flushing a bright vermillion) as he ceased his jam session to lean over Atlanta's lap and address the jokesters. "So, what's that mental image doing for you guys?" He should have been wise enough to know not to kick the hornets' nest. Instead of engaging them in their little game, he should have carried on with whatever he was doing, or going to do next. Alas, whether it was the blonde's pride or what, he continued to take part in the stupid jesting.

Atlanta sighed, and silently prayed that the stewardess would arrive soon to tell them both to bugger off. Unfortunately, it took around fifteen minutes, and in that time, she had already shifted closer to the window, and found herself drifting off into sleep.

How long would sleep's hold have her in its vice-like grip? She didn't know. Especially, since she knew that the blonde would be falling asleep soon; and from what she had learned from the other children of Hermes, (and from sharing a hotel room with him for a few days) Jessup talked in his sleep... _alot_. And it goes without saying that it was really_, really, _difficult to ignore the way he murmured and groaned during his nocturnal conversations with the gods. But, she was perfectly content with just resting until then.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Kyle and Zoe were sitting in absolute silence, as they observed a rather heavy with child—and rather full of water—brunette racing up and down the aisle; back and forth to the tiny bathroom.<p>

Zoe was far passed annoyed, but, amazingly, she constrained her raising anger. There was something about the pregnant woman—or pregnant women in general—that held her anger at bay. Perhaps, it was the fact that she was harboring an innocent life inside of her; and despite being Hades' offspring, she couldn't dare do anything to harm that life.

Or, perhaps it was because the composed ravenette beside her had taken her hand in his somewhat-calloused one and squeezed tight—as if to tell her to relax—and that was far more annoying than the woman could ever be.

The demi-goddess looked up at him with narrowed eyes, but, ultimately decided against shouting at him, because from what she could tell, the woman with child had finally settled into her seat, and began to relax. Feeling a strange feeling—pity, maybe?—she closed her eyes, and evened out her breathing.

Amazingly, as Zoe let off wave after wave of tranquil energy, (that was usually reserved for the dead) the expecting brunette's breathing rate decelerated. And after a few moments, she had final fallen asleep. The ravenette would have been genuinely surprised that it actually worked, if she hadn't felt Kyle's grip loosen considerably. Turning to glare at him, the daughter of Hades noticed that he too had fallen asleep; and, in fact, as she took in the rest of the people surrounding her, she realized that they all had fallen asleep.

Throwing a sharp jab into the sleeping teen's side the demi-goddess swore at him and belittled him under her breath, before screwing her face up in a rather frightening scowl. This was going to be a long flight, and she was just itching to write unpleasant things about her fellow travelers. Reaching under her seat, she rummaged through her bag for her journal and set out scribbling on the paper till her hand cramped.

* * *

><p>When they had finally landed in Florida, practically all of the demi-gods could have hollered with pure joy… expect that they didn't, because that would have been strange.<p>

Jessup in particular was happy to finally get on with the next trial and away from the aged miscreants that kept him from sleeping most of the night by throwing things at him. From rolled up paper, to pillows, to a DVD case—where the hell did they even get it from, he had no idea, but he when he looked at the cover art, the blonde almost gagged: _'Batman Forever?'_ He never sneered so hard in his entire life; as he lobbed it back at them with a muffled swear.

"—and, after that; the old bastard punched me in the eye." Jessup grumbled sourly, as he rubbed around the afflicted area. Wincing, he stopped bothering the skin, and began to pout. "And it got even more totally unfair when his lackeys joined it."

"Nothing's fair, JD." Atlanta said absentmindedly, as she furrowed her brows at the rather irritated, reddish-purple bruise that skirted around the cracked lens of the blonde's glasses. "And if you learned to choose the right battles, you wouldn't have to pick yourself off the floor after each and every one of them."

Jessup opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came out; instead he huffed, and folded his arms across his chest. "Sometimes I wonder who you call yourself my friend."

Atlanta felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips. Jessup Doyle was such a child. "Don't get all stuffy; I'm only being honest." Offering him the smile she had been holding back, the archer caught him by the hook of his arm and pulled him upright from his spot, (leaning against one of the seats.)

"I hate your selective honesty." The blonde huffed, just as the girl shoved his cumbersome rucksack into his arms.

They met up with Kyle and Zoe at the Airport's entrance, since Jessup felt compelled to take a vow of silence, until Atlanta bought him a Cinnabon. It was needless to say that she had created a monster, the day she gave into the blonde son of Hermes' pouting.

* * *

><p>By time they were boarding the trolley, it was almost high-noon.<p>

Kyle took his seat by one of the large, glass-less windows, and let out a low sigh when Atlanta sat down next to him. He wasn't particularly fond of the woman; but, that was solely because he didn't know her. Though, as she sat there, relatively quiet, the son of Nyx supposed that it couldn't be any worse than sitting with Zoe when she was in one of her moods.

So, as he decided to remain quiet and suffer in silence, the ravenette noted that the daughter of Artemis was humming the exact same tune Jessup had been singing not so long ago. Apparently, it was more infectious than anyone had once thought.

Meanwhile, Jessup had settled into his seat next to Zoe with a grim look on his face. No amount of Cinnabons could make him want to sit by the daughter of Hades—actually, after some serious thought; he serious contemplated biting off his arm, if it meant changing seats with someone else.

Truth be told, he was absolutely terrified of Zoe. Especially, since she was one the verge of snapping any moment now, because of the stupid, overzealous tour guide; who had been rudely rushing people onto the trolley, _"Come on, dudes and betties. If you hustle, we'll be able to tour Miami AND make it to the convention before things kick off."_ with his annoying, and not to mention FAKE, surfer accent.

Though, don't get him wrong, he wanted her to do it. In fact, he was sure that anyone (sane, or not) that was on riding the public transit that day, would have been within their rights to kick that guy square in his jaw.

But, unfortunately for Jessup, if they had done so; the travelling demi-gods would have never learned that the next sanctuary (where Apollo's challenge awaited them) was sheathed within a fancy, upscale hotel that was so nicely named the _**Golden Horizon**_. Talk about the gods lacking in the clandestine—and not to mention _creative_—naming department.

"What a show-off." Atlanta murmured to Kyle, as she stared down at the old, black and white photo of the luxurious hostel. Unfortunately, she seemed to have broken the golden rule. 'No talking during the tour.' And before she could blink, Todd the Tour Guide, (who, by now, was about a 9.5 on the annoying scale from 1 to 5) was breathing down her neck.

"Hey, Betty, I would very much appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me in the middle of the tour. M'kay? Thanks." Todd drawled, sticking his nose into other people's business, like a child that hasn't yet learned they aren't welcomed. "Now, here's some food for thought; the owner of the Golden Horizon was named Archie Polland. He was a pretty chill guy, donated to a lot of charities, collected muscle cars. He made quite a name for himself, before he floated up to the great-beyond in the spring of 1999."

Even though Atlanta was totally capable of defending herself; Jessup felt the need to speak up for her. "If you had any frickin' manners _at all_; you wouldn't have eavesdropped the way you did." The blonde objected heatedly; and if he was capable of glaring, he would have been—actually, he would be glaring razor-sharp (and not to mention _flaming_) daggers. "No one could hear her, expect you; so, obviously, you could have just ignored it and went on with the damned tour."

The daughter of Artemis quickly butted in by telling Jessup to shut his mouth—but, he ignored her, and continued on his warpath. Thinking back, Atlanta remembered what Travis Stoll told her, _'once JD gets going; he won't stop until he's done,' _and sat back in her seat. It would be useless to try to stop him, now, so she just braced for the inevitable. They were going to be kicked off the Trolley.

"You know, Mr. _Todd_, I can just tell that you're dying to focus the attention back on yourself; So, I have just one question. Do you enjoy really enjoy your pathetic job, so much, that you have to be a total tool?" Jessup's statement was so cold and he had said it so loud; so very clear, that it had everyone within earshot glancing back to see if he was joking, or not.

For those who went on his facial expression alone, they were thoroughly taken aback. He looked absolutely serious—as if he hadn't been more serious about anything in his entire life. It frightened some of the other tourist, actually.

* * *

><p>Just like Atlanta had predicted, a fight broke out and they were promptly kicked off the trolley. (Okay, well, Jessup got kicked off, and everyone else just followed him; because he knew where they needed to go and exactly how to get there.)<p>

"I don't blame you for saying what you did," Atlanta started, as she extended the length of her bag's strap with a few sure tugs. "But, come on, JD. Couldn't you have waited until we were in walking distance of the hotel?"

Zoe was still slapping her knee, and howling with laughter. "To _hell _with that—" She managed between her devilish chuckles—those of which, sounded as if they belonged to Hades himself. "Blondie, I didn't know you had it in you to act so bitchy."

Jessup shrugged with a sly smirk etched (almost permanently) in his features. "There are a lot of things you guys don't know about me." Just as he said that, the blonde stepped off the curb, and almost tumbled into traffic.

Kyle had caught him skillfully by the scruff of his neck and reeled him in, right as a silver Lincoln (going faster than the speed limit allowed) was about to ram into him like a raging bull. "Watch your step." He added, quietly. There was no need for the blonde to try and repeat his near-death experience, so to keep Jessup from meandering to close to the street, the son of Nyx guided him to the center of their walking circle.

"_Watch your step,_" The son of Hermes parroted in a mocking tone, as he scuttled on behind the trio of keen-sighted demi-gods that insisted on either walking too fast for his little, stubby legs to keep up with, or too slow for his weaning patience. "It's almost as if you guys have selective memory. You can remember each and every detail about our quest, and yet—even after I remind you time, and time, again…I CAN'T WATCH MY STEP; BECAUSE I CAN'T FREAKIN' SEE!"

His outburst was swiftly ignored; because, the others were too busy looking up at one of the tallest buildings in Miami. It was remarkable. Large, finely crafted ash-white stone pillars shot up from the beautiful, surrounding garden. The golden roof refracted sunlight strikingly. Superbly constructed statues of Apollo were (visible even from their place across the street) scattered throughout the lot.

"Wow…"Atlanta gaped, admiring the strictly Greek architecture.

Jessup took that as a clue that they had arrived. "Eh, it looks amazing doesn't it?" He bitterly shrugged, before purposefully stepping off the sidewalk and onto the street. Luckily, the light changed to red, so he wasn't mowed down. "It's shouldn't be a secret to anyone, that Apollo only likes things that are just as good to look at as he is."

When he hears Zoe snort indignantly; as she prepared to make another snide comment about his inability to keep his thoughts about the dashing divinities to himself, the blonde quickly adds, "Or, so I'm told."

Kyle was respectively appreciative of the marvelous structure, but, honestly couldn't care less about it; as he wasn't much of an admirer of how _sunny_ it was. Perhaps, if it was a black, gold, and midnight-blue building, instead, maybe that would draw his attention a little better?

"Well, come on, we don't have all day. Let's go."

* * *

><p>When they had entered the lobby, all three pairs of youthful eyes lit up with amazement, as they took in the decorating scheme. Deluxe, extravagant, frilly, lavish, luxuriant, ostentatious, pretentious, rich, swanky—there wasn't possibly enough words in the dictionary to describe it.<p>

The entrance hall was stylishly (and somewhat garishly) decorated with a traditional Greek theme that had a contemporary twist on it, so that it could certainly appeal to younger, less cultured, generations.

The main focal point of the room was a group of comfy armchairs that were heavily decorated with plush, sunset-colored cushions, and gathered around a tiny coffee table that was covered by a pretty, shimmering gold table cloth and a vase filled with sparkling water and a tall, healthy-looking sunflowers. No doubt, they must have been tampered with, because there was no way the artificial light could have kept it alive so long.

Beyond that was the receptionist's desk; which, was being manned by a pretty young woman with flaming red hair. The counter was sort of a circular shape, and made with the same stone-marble material from Aphrodite's temple. Along the edges, it was dolled up with fine, gold paint and inside the lines were several, neatly crafted cravings of Apollo's many lovers. From Daphne to Cyparissus; they were all there, posed and arched towards the sun that rested in the very middle of the masterpiece.

Standing in the middle of it all, the demi-gods suddenly felt out of place. This place screamed regal like Zeus took lovers, and if they was one thing they all had in common, was that were nowhere near that.

Jessup huffed, before scratching his head impatiently. "If you're done rubbernecking, let's go."

They quickly crossed the threshold, (Jessup almost stumbling over the tiny stream that ran through the cracks in the marble floor) and since Atlanta was the only one that had a valid license, she was the one who rang the service-bell.

Waiting for the woman to stir from her concentration spell, the daughter of Artemis noted that the woman's name-tag read, _**'H. Leos'**_, and that it was drawn in cursive—her own handwriting, perhaps_?_

"Excuse me," Atlanta spoke with her most polite voice, as she leaned against the counter to get a better look at the guestbook that the older woman was looking at.

While they waited for Ms. Leos to clue in, Jessup stole some candy out of the dish that sat innocently on the counter. "Wow, for once, it's not peppermint." After that statement had spilled from his lips, Zoe had reached over his shoulder, claimed the bowl, and dumped all the confectionaries into her bag. "Hey! I was still eating those!" He fussed indignantly; until the ravenette gave him a rather painful looking welt on his shoulder and a few of her favorite swears.

From their outburst, the receptionist looked up and smiled. "Oh, why, hello—Ms. Hunter," She greeted; her glossed-covered lips curved into a tight, almost painful looking, Cheshire smirk.

The whole group was thoroughly taken aback; but, Atlanta especially so. "H-how...?" She croaked out, before suddenly losing her voice.

Just then, Ms. Leos lifted the guestbook, (to reveal Atlanta's name at the top of the list in bold, glittering words) and another female suddenly appeared. She was wearing the exact same outfit; a white silk and chiffon, wrap-dress with a plunging neckline, and had her stringy, flaxen hair braided from the crown of her head, to the curve of her back. The blonde looked absolutely identical to the redhead. "We've been expecting you, of course." She stated in a cool voice.

_It's a trap_... Kyle thought to himself, as he slowly reached into his bag to collect his sword. The blonde woman seemed to have noticed this, and quickly called on security. It didn't take long for them to arrive, and it definitely didn't take long for the four demi-gods to be man-handled by the burly men who apprehended them, incapacitated, and hauled into one of the nearby elevators.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: Apollo's Challenge Part 2.<strong>


	5. Challenge 3: Apollo Part Two

**A|N: The weather is hell over here. Between random lightning showers, to full blown heavy downpours of cats and dogs; I've hardly been able to get anything done. (/Pity Party) Okay, so, this part is coming out a LOT late, because it's 10,111+ words, (It was writing itself, what was I supposed to do?) and was going to be a hell of alot more than that if I didn't rush to the end. I have a rough idea of what I want to do with the plot, now, so hopefully, I'll be able to execute it the way I have planned. **

**Oh, and before we get started, I just want to dedicate this chapter to a late-friend of mine. May you rest in peace, babe, we miss you up\down here. :( **

* * *

><p>An unknown amount of time had passed, by time Zoe found herself bolting upright in a jazzy room. It, just like the lobby, had a posh design. "Ugh…" She groaned, rubbing the cricks out of her neck, before taking in the dimly lit room completely, with her suspicious, obsidian-colored eyes.<p>

The first thing her gaze caught was a large, queen-sized bed. It was dressed up with silky vermillion sheets and half-dozen comfy white pillows. From there, she spotted a nicely crafted desk that sat lonely in the opposite corner. It was probably the only thing that was messy in the entire room. Dozens of scattered documents were strewn across the desk.

Scrunching her face up, the ravenette decided that she was absolutely tired of the room. Sick of the haughty decorations—of this damned hotel to be more exact. Scrambling to her feet, the daughter of Hades sensed that she wasn't alone. Glancing over the room, she couldn't find a single soul. But, when did she ever need her eyes to seek someone out?

Letting her lids flutter close, she manipulated the shadows; and sure enough, she caught the person that had been dumb enough to try to pull on over on her. Yanking them into the light, the ravenette felt her fuse burning from both sides. "Kyle, what the _hell_," Kicking the teen, she growled.

As the son of Nyx, Kyle also had the ability to use Umbrakinesis; so, even though he was probably placed in another room, he was able to apparate in Zoe's room; which, luckily, had been shrouded in darkness like his had been. "I can't find the others." He stated with a blank stare, as he surveyed the room. "And, the guards took our weapons."

Zoe looked ready to explode, ("THOSE ASSHOLES DID WHAT?") and rightfully so. They took her weapon, _her _stygian iron knife. They had no freakin' right—challenge, or no challenge; those bastards were going to become heavily acquainted with her fists if they don't give her sword back.

If there had been nitroglycerin in the room, Zoe's temper would have caused it to ignite—leading to a painful and quick death for the both of them. "I'm not waiting around for those pricks to come back; I'm getting my knife back." Just as she was about to leave, Kyle caught her by the arm and pulled her roughly to his form. Though, it wasn't as easy as it sounded, because the raging female fought him tooth and nail until he had her against his chest, locked within his sinewy arms. "What the f—LET GO OF ME, DAMN IT!"

The daughter of Hades struggled fruitlessly against the larger ravenette for a good five minutes, before he finally released her. Though, by that time, they had moved into another room by means of shadow-travel.

"RAAARGH," Zoe howled, kicking the son of Nyx in his ribs a few good times, before she was sufficiently exhausted. As the fierce female panted and grumbled, (working hard to regain her breath) she looked up and, to her surprise, the room was filled wall to wall with amorous Kyle clones; each as cute and cuddly as the last. "Damn it..."

The real Kyle lay incapacitated in a crumpled heap of pain, while Zoe was hugged and smooched by the copy-cats.

* * *

><p>In another room, entirely; consciousness licked at the back of Atlanta's mind, slowly rousing her from her deep slumber. "Hmm..." She grumbled, rolling onto her side and effectively trapping her arm under her weight. Surprisingly, she was hit with a jolt of pain strong enough to rip her from her sleep spell.<p>

_"Ahh!"_ She shrieked, bolting upright sharply to survey her arm. It looked fine, but it was completely limb. Was her shoulder dislocated? That wouldn't be too much of a shock, given that those guards were pretty strong... and violent.

Looking up at the individual that had stirred her from her slumber, she let out a strangled sound. It was Jessup, and he looked completely batted. The sleeve of his shirt had been ripped off completely; revealing a large array of crimson stained slash marks. The wound in his abdomen that was left by 'bird-woman' had opened up; gushing blood onto his tattered jeans.

It was safe to guess that he was bleeding from his head to his foot. But, along with the horrible injuries that she noticed, was the worst one of them all; (without a doubt) it was the laceration that stretched across his hairline. It looked as if the skin was being held on by something cheap, like glue, or scotch-tape.

Atlanta would have been horrified by the sight; if the blonde had given her time to really take it all in, let it soak—of course, he didn't. Jessup lurched forward clumsily and caught her by the injured arm. _"F...nnngh!" _She barely had anytime to choke out Zoe's favorite four-letter swear, (let alone a gasp) before the blonde was positioning his shaky, bruised hands around the base of her neck and elbow.

_"This is going to hurt."_ He rushed out, (sounding and looking like he belonged amongst the dead), before giving her arm a shift, painful yank.

The sound her joint made was absolutely sickening, (probably the last sound _anyone_ever wanted to hear) and the loud, pained cry she let out could curdle blood. Her chest was heaving up and down as she recovered from the agony. "Shit..." She panted, as she blinked away tears of pain.

This hadn't exactly been her first dislocated shoulder, but, damn, had resetting it still hurt like it was going out of style.

As the violent waves of pain slowly receded, the redhead quickly assessed the rest of her injuries, (luckily, the dislocated shoulder was the only one) before staring up at Jessup. "You look terrible." She murmurs, breathlessly, as she reached up to brush her fingers along his bloodied hairline. A grim expression crossed her face when she noted that his face was, in fact, only being held on by a flap of flesh. How the hell was he still conscious? "What happened...?"

The blonde let out a groan, jerking his head back from Atlanta's reach, before stumbling and falling onto the floor. "I-I can't tell you." He hissed, as he tried to curl himself into a ball. "They said—ugh... I can't tell you." Jessup's voice sounded breathy and uneven; as if he was on the brink of crying.

Atlanta watched him silently, as she tried desperately to overcome the intense pain in her shoulder long enough to crawl to his side. "Can't you atleast tell me why we got kidnapped?" When the boy shook his head fiercely, and began murmuring brokenly into the fold of his arms, the redhead growled. "Of all the times you decided to keep secrets; why the hell now?"

The room grew completely silent, (aside from their joint noises of agony, of course) and the archer was sure she could hear Jessup sobbing over the sound of her blood thrumming in her ears. Whatever he was hiding from her; it must have been some serious shit, because it just tearing him up to keep it under lock and key.

Atlanta grunted, before shifting onto her knees and shuffling towards the boy. It was damn near impossible for her to manage her upright crawl; because her balance had been severely hindered by the earlier beating she took. "JD," She started, as she grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him gently. "_Please_, tell me…what's going on?"

Jessup clenched his teeth, before tilting his head upwards. And though, Atlanta was sure he couldn't see; it was as if he was staring her dead in the eye. _"You have to turn back, Atlanta. It isn't safe. It's a lie; it's all a lie."_ If his cryptic statement wasn't creepy enough, the deep, rumbling voice was—or perhaps, it really got creepy when the blonde suddenly started to hiss… or, maybe, when his wounded face started sagging and peeling, until finally dropping off to reveal a bare skull.

Atlanta jumped back, as Jessup's glasses fell off to reveal two, bloody, depthless eye sockets that looked to have been brutally carved into. From there, his mandible fell off and the whole skull tipped back and snapped off.

Out of the collar of the husk's shirt slithered a snake; it was about the width of Jessup's neck and approximately five feet in length, and the redhead tried desperately to find her voice. She wanted to scream; because she couldn't move her body if she wanted to, but nothing came out.

All she could do was maintain her labored breathing; until the reptile slipped up her leg, and struck out to take a bite out of her neck. Its teeth were razor sharp, and its venom burned like liquid lava. She felt like she was going to die from the sensation alone.

Her body slowly went numb, as she dropped lifelessly to the floor. And before her eyes fluttered closed; she watched the snake zigzag along the floor before everything went black.

* * *

><p>As it would turn out, Jessup had completely forgotten to mention one very important thing; at that was that, Apollo's sanctuary was a challenge within itself; (meaning, they wouldn't be able to face the actual trial, until they had roused from their bizarre hallucinations… (How long would that take—forever, maybe? No other traveler has ever made it out, so there wasn't much information to go on.)<p>

Moving on….

Luckily, for the slumbering demi-gods; they wouldn't be sleeping forever; because, the airheaded son of Hermes had stirred from his nightmarish vision, after an hour or so, and had just enough energy to pull his stiff, sleep-addled limbs off the limestone floor. Of course, he, (like the others) had been whacked unconscious by the security's stern beating, but, hadn't been able to stay asleep; because a very ill-tempered Artemis chased him out of his dreams, demanding that he get her daughter out of Apollo's temple.

It goes without saying that that was the most effective wakeup call _anyone_could receive. Jessup was still wiping away thick trails of drool from the corner of his mouth, when he crawled stiffly towards the others. For some reason, he had been pushed off into a corner, while everyone else had been stretched out across one another.

A yawn tore through his throat, as the boy pushed his sunglasses up and into his hairline, and began rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, (though, careful not to rub the swollen one too hard.) "Wakey-wakey, you guys," He murmured, while reaching out timidly. "We've got to get going." He whined, patting the frigid floor for the others, until his hand brushed against soft fabric. He didn't need his sight to know that it was the hemline of Zoe's dress.

Tugging especially hard on it, the blonde groaned. "Come oooon; get up, we don't have all day!" Realizing that they probably couldn't hear him, Jessup shuffled on his knees a bit, before sitting forward and shouting until his lungs were about ready to collapse. It didn't work. Neither of the older demi-gods even stirred. Two flaxen brows knitted together in confusion, before a wave of understanding hit.

He would have to physically rouse them from their sleep. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand high above his head, before bringing it down to swat the daughter of Hades' across the face._ Damn it._

It didn't even take a minute for the ravenette to react. Zoe bolted upright and shoved Atlanta's legs off of her, before lunging at Jessup and knocking him to the floor. The sound the boy's head made when it impacted with the limestone was sickening; but, the demi-goddess didn't care, she was too busy seizing him by the collar of his shirt, and shaking him until his exposed eyes crossed and bobbed around, just beneath the half-closed lids that normally concealed them.

Whether she was attacking him because he hit her, or because he took so long to do it, was unsure; but, what was for certain was that Zoe was absolutely grateful to finally be awake, and away from all those _Kyles_.

"Blondie,"The ravenette growled, after letting him drop to the floor with an unceremoniously _**thud**_. "Why the _hell_ didn't you tell us about the frickin' Three Stooges!" She was referring to the guards that had broken three of the five fingers on her right hand.

"I didn't know we were going to get our asses kicked! _They _don't exactly tell me **everything **I need to know about the trials."Jessup choked out defensively, as he rolled onto his stomach and patted around for the tinted spectacles.

While he attempted to relocate his glasses, Zoe had gotten to her feet and quickly inspected the room. It was identical to the one in her dream—except, it was well-lit and there was actually a door leading outside. Letting her shoulders sag with relief, the ravenette turned her attention to her traveling companions.

Kyle was still asleep, (of course) with his head on Atlanta's stomach and his lithe body curled up in the fetal position. Zoe made a disgusted face, before kneeling down and smacking both of the snoozing semi-divines. "Wake your lazy asses up; we've got to get moving'!" She sneered, as she swatted the redhead twice more than necessary, across the face, with the back of her hand.

Atlanta groaned in immense discomfort, as she sat up to rub her reddening cheek. It stung worse than pouring alcohol into an opened wound. "Ugh. You wouldn't believe the dream I had." She grumbled, while flexing her jaw, as she pushed Kyle's head off her lap, (right then, the son of Nyx startled upright and was on alert.)

Jessup clumsily pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, before straightening out his clothes. "I don't want to know; let's get going. We've wasted enough time, as is." And like that, he sprang to his feet and stumbled to the exit door.

The daughter of Artemis felt the strong urge to put the blonde in his place with a few choice words and such; but swiftly decided against it, when she watched the boy smack into the door, face-first. He was rearing back, holding his nose, as he hissed in pain. "Ow—!"

* * *

><p>Eventually, after they all got their bearings, they peeled back the double doors that trapped them inside the suite, and were greeted by a long, winding hallway. Pictures, as far as the eye could see, decorated the walls. From a beautiful portrait of <em>Cyparissus<em>, to _The Death of Hyacinthos_, (by Jean Broc)—and, in honor of his sister, Apollo had the famed painting _Diana and Callisto_ (by Titian) mounted on the wall.

They paid the paintings no mind, as they trekked down the seemingly endless corridor. "If Apollo was here, I'd punch him in his face."Zoe exclaimed heatedly, as she trudged on down the hall at a faster pace than the others. "I didn't look at this crap in school; what makes him think I want to see it now? Row after row, its naked chick, naked guy, naked chick, OH—it's a naked guy with a snake wrapped around his junk!" Halting her strut, so that she could point the picture out, the ravenette blew a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "Whoever drew this shit was seriously messed up."

Atlanta snorted, as she stared at the painting Zoe had pointed out. It was pretty graphic, (so, the details will be spared for the sake of young minds) and if the redhead didn't have an ounce of respect for the artist who gave their life to the canvas, she would have agreed.

Kyle was just glad there were no pictures of Nyx hanging around; he wasn't sure if he recovered from the shock delivered from the last item that was marveled in her visage. Holding back a rather violent shudder, the demi-god quicken the pace of his stride, and eventually strolled passed Jessup and right by a long row of portraits of the Titaness; Leto.

She was beautiful; which was probably why Zeus came to her, and it was hard for Kyle to even imagine that the woman was a grandmother. Shaking his head, the ravenette looked up to see Atlanta discreetly admiring the portraits of Leto.

Would Stephanie and Matthew be drawn to the many watercolors of their gran; like the redhead was? Not giving it anymore thought; the demi-god followed the two girls down the curve of the hallway.

Unbeknownst to the trio, Jessup had lagged _far _behind. He was standing with a slack jawed expression, and his head was tilted upwards at a large painting of Apollo's late son; Asclepius. "Wait a sec, you guys…"He murmured, reaching out to run his small, maltreated hands along the smooth, canvas. The fine threads tickled his fingertips, and right then and there, he was hit with what to do next. "Uh—guys, I think I found the—guys!"

His voice echoed throughout the empty hall, and when the blonde strained his finely-toned ears, and heard nothing, (not the sound of fabric shifting, not the sound of footfall—nothing!) he scowled till his face went numb. "They left _me_? I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT ME! THEY HAVE NO WEAPONS, NO SENSE OF DIRECTION—URGH!" Gritting his teeth, the boy hit his fists on the painting.

"I hope there's a snake pit, where ever you guys are going!" Jessup shouted bitterly down the hall, before pushing his glasses into his hairline and rubbing his eyelids agitatedly. Never before had he felt such a strong urge to take his specs off, (but for whatever reason) he removed them from his person completely, and had tossed them to the floor.

The resilient tinted plastic lenses of his vintage, wire-rimmed Ray Bans broke upon impact with the cold granite, but Jessup paid it no mind, as he peeled his eyelids open. What was he expecting to see—hopefully something... maybe?

Let it be known that, though Jessup saw nothing but darkness, (like always) his eyes still very much worked. His gloomy irises shone with an otherworldly brightness, (from a beautiful shade of burnt bronze, to a color that could only be described as molten gold) and the grand image of the god of Healing and Medicine could only fall away under the power that the boy had unknowingly conjured.

By time the others had rounded the corner, alerted by Jessup's earlier call, the whole room had lit up. The beam that came from the retreating portrait was ten times brighter than the one that came from Aphrodite's mirror; as if the sun itself was in the room. And when the light had finally dimmed, the only thing that was left of Asclepius was an ornate, gold-gilded archway.

"JD," Atlanta gaped, as she noticed the shattered sunglasses on the floor. What in the world had happened in their absence?

Jessup tilted his head in their direction, before giving them a weary smirk. "I know that the challenge isn't gonna get up, and waltz anywhere, anytime soon, but—I'd like to get it down, and get out of here, before the others' die of old age." Smoothing his hand along the archway, the blonde gestured for the trio to follow, before disappearing into the next room.

Zoe scrunched her face up with repulsion, (while muttering something to Kyle under her breath, about the strange state of Jessup's eyes, _"Maybe that's why he's always wearing those glasses, he looks like a freak!"_) before following the blonde into the hidden chamber.

Atlanta shook her head at the daughter of Hades' insensitivity, but didn't argue, because the tiny ravenette _did _make a valid point. The only way to describe the boy's eyes, were that they looked much a statute. They were distant, cold, and harden over what seemed like centuries.

* * *

><p>The compartment was actually, rather <em>small<em>, with sandstone bricks (that glittered like the finest gold) lining the floor and walls. Stone replicas of the world's fiercest snakes were coiled around four, tall pillars that shot out from the shimmering floor, and straight toward the ceiling; which was opened to the heavens above. In the middle of the room, acting like a centerpiece, was a tall pedestal that was decorated with Apollo's Golden Lyre.

All in all, the room was mildly extravagant compared to the rest of the sanctuary; but, nice to look at none-to-less.

Zoe straightened out her coarse chin-length curls, before idly glancing around. Ugh, she needed to get out of this place soon, or she was going to willingly blind herself. "You would think Apollo has never seen a color other than gold,"Leaning on one of the nearby pillars, she was thoroughly surprised when the snake wrapped around it hissed and slithered away from her hand.

"WHAT THE _HELL_!" Zoe exclaimed, jumping back (which, effectively startled the rest of the group.) The ravenette's chest was heaving up and down, and when she spared a worry glance at her hand, (which was stinging) much to her dismay, she was greeted with the sight of the retreating reptile's scales. Cringing, she tried to rub it off on her clothes, but no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't wipe off.

Atlanta appeared at the other demi-goddess' side, and swiftly snatched up her hand to inspect the wound. It looked pretty bad; as if unfiltered acid was poured onto the girl's palm, and the redhead was surprised at Zoe's tame reaction (if you could call her incessant swearing and hissing tame) to the gruesome-looking injury.

At that moment, the daughter of Artemis wished that she had her backpack; because, aside from the fact that all the medical supplies were in it, her bow was probably in there too. Perhaps, if either her cousins were here; they could sing a Hymn to Apollo?

"Now both of my hands don't work!" Zoe deduced with a shout, as she raised both hands into everyone's line of sight.

Kyle's brows knitted together, as he noticed how the rest of the stone reptiles started to slip around the columns. It was as if… they were running from something? Observing them with midnight eyes, the son of Nyx squinted up into the darkness when the snakes retreated into the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Jessup had already started towards the Lyre, and was reaching out for it with timid hands. "Huh, what do you know?" He shrugged amusedly. "Apollo wasn't kidding when he said it was just laying around for the taking." His fingers had only brushed against the cool, metal momentarily, before a loud, ear-splitting shriek resounded throughout the room.

Everyone doubled back with hands on their ears. The sound was too intense. "WHAT DID YOU DO, JD!" Atlanta shouted through gritted teeth, as she held her ringing ears.

Jessup was about to defend himself; when suddenly, a thick robe twined around his ankles and he was jolted off the ground. "AAAAH!" He shrieked as his arms flailed around, and his nails scratched painfully at the ground that was withdrawing from his grasp.

The piercing alarm coupled with being dangling upside down, was enough to bring the blood rushing to Jessup's head. "Guhh…guys!" He slurred angrily, as he struggled to block his ears from the noise.

Zoe let out a fierce roar, before clenching her eyes shut. "WILL THE FREAKIN' NOISE STOP!" Somehow, someway, the daughter of Hades' voice, in all of its gritty, terrifying glory, was enough to shut down the siren.

From there, the room grew completely quiet; other than Jessup wailing for someone to get him down, and they did best to get their bearings before something else happened. Atlanta was breathing hard, practically heaving up a lung, as she wiped tears (that had swelled up in her eyes from the nausea that was induced by the screech) from her eyes. Kyle was humming silently to himself, and snapping his fingers beside his ears, to make sure he hadn't gone deaf. Zoe, for whatever reason, felt as though she was shrinking, (or perhaps, on the verge of fainting)-why else would everyone be getting taller?

Glancing down, her eyes almost bulged out of her head. She was sinking into the floor! Using all her strength, the daughter of Hades' tugged and twisted her legs in odd angles, as she struggled tirelessly to free herself from the treacherous sand. While the ravenette wrestled and fought with the golden grains, Atlanta had cautiously trudged over to Jessup, so she could try and pull him down.

"You're too high up! I can't reach you, JD." The redhead confessed, as she jumped once—twice—thrice more, with her arms outstretched as far as they could go. "You're going to have to hang in there, until I can get something to cut you down with."

The blonde let out a breathy, sarcastic laugh. "I'll hang for as long as you need me too; but, do keep in mind that my hands are numb." Wiggling his fingers stiffly for emphasis, Jessup closed his straining eyes and searched his mind for a clue on how to get down. _AHA! _"Atlanta, this chamber is a dummy—my bindings must be held together by a series of pedals and stuff…maybe if you open the door—!" He explained frantically, while flailing with newfound energy.

"Door? What door?" The demi-goddess asked, clearly puzzled, as she stared at Jessup as if he had grown a second head.

Kyle took this time to jump into the conversation. "That door." He said plainly, as he pointed to a large double door; even from the distance they were standing at, it was obvious that the door didn't have a handle, or a lock, but instead a series of intricate riddles splayed out across cool, golden panes.

Atlanta nodded firmly, before starting out to the other side of the room. As luck would have it, she stepped on a special brick, (not good special, but, like bad, booby-trap special) and from somewhere deep beneath the floor, came the haunting sound of rusty gears turning and grinding against one another. She let out a loud slew of swears, before bouncing off like a frightened stag.

Zoe had just freed herself, when a large, spiral pit opened up in the floor. The ravenette began to kick her legs ten times harder, and started flailing her arms like a chicken that was preparing to take off. It seemed that the more she struggled, the faster the sand pulled her—the faster she would be dragged down into the golden abyss, and the sooner she would be re-introduced to her wonderful half-sister; Bianca Di Angelo.

Kyle caught sight of his squirming companion, and despite all his logic and reasoning skills, he stepped off the tiny, (and not to mention safe) patch of solid ground, and darted over to rescue her.

Jessup's eyes widened, as he took it all in. To think that he was dangling just a few feet above that deadly torrent of revolving sand. "ATLANTA! GET THAT DOOR OPEN!"

The daughter of Artemis almost broke her neck trying to reach the door; but, once she got there, she went to work pulling and jimmying levers and the lot, in a wild attempt to get it open. "Come on, come on!" She hollered, as she tugged especially hard on a knobby-looking foot that jutted out from the door. "IT'S NOT OPENING!" She panicked, looking over her shoulder to see Kyle stumble, as a thick tendril of sand wrapped around his ankle.

"IT'S A PUZZLE, ATLANTA! USE YOUR PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS!" Jessup shouted back, waving his arms around, as if he was directing traffic.

Nodding, Atlanta steeled her nerves before taking a really, _really, _good look at the puzzle, the redhead deadpanned. It had absolutely, positively _nothing_to do with the current task. Neither did have anything to do with the hallucinations. It was, (quite literally) a series of stone figure pieces, that, if put together, formed a large sculpture of the Sun god.

Two perfectly arched. Fiery-red eyebrows knitted together—as if to say, _seriously?_—before the young woman got to work putting it all in the right place.

Meanwhile, as Atlanta was solving the exit's challenge, (which wasn't really much of a challenge—unless, the individual was debilitating weak… or hated Apollo's stupid face.) the sand started steadily rising.

And in two shakes of a lamb's tail, Zoe found herself practically plummeting into the sand. "Um, not to rush you or anything princess, but—WILL YOU HURRY THE _HELL_UP?" She bellowed venomously, as she struggled against her fate. Though, no matter how much she swore and squirmed, she sunk further and further into the ocean of gleaming, gold powder.

Atlanta quavered violently, half from the knowledge that she held her fellow demi-goddess' fate was in her hands, (and that if she didn't get the door open soon, she would perish under the weight of 20 tons of sparkling sand) and the other half from the fact that, no matter how many times she fiddled with the lock—no matter how many times she completed the stupid riddle that was inscribed on the door—the confined chamber just kept on filling with the that fine, flaxen-colored sand that had suffocated that last adventurer that was in here.

"ATLANTA!"Zoe barked, as she felt the illusive sand pour into her shoes, filling them all the way to the top, before ultimately ripping them off her feet. At this point, she was submerged from the chest down, and her abdomen felt like it was being crushed under the weight of a trash compactor. "ARGH…"She squirmed and wormed more fiercely, before using her freed toes to wiggle away from the large crevice in the floor that all the sand was tipping into.

Zoe's efforts weren't entirely in vain, (as she was able to free herself up to the waist) but, as long as the sand kept on turning, she was eventually going to—no, she wasn't even going to think like that, not yet, atleast. She still had some fight in her, she could make it out.

Luckily, all of the demi-goddess' grim, end-of-the-world thoughts were put to a halt, when Kyle came swooping in. He exerted himself, and damned near pulled a muscle as he wiggled the smaller ravenette out of the almost water-like sand that desired nothing more than to take her with it.

The both of them were panting after Zoe was pulled onto a more solid platform; but neither of them said anything to one another. Perhaps, she was still mad about the hallucination earlier? Or, maybe she just didn't know how to thank Kyle for saving her life. After all, no one else had ever done something remotely like that for her; so, she pretty much never thought she would have to use the words'thank' and 'you' in the same sentence. (Unless, of course, it was something like, **"**_**You **_**better **_**thank **_**the gods that I didn't kill you where you stand,** **asshole**" or something to that effect.)

Maybe the half-blood was mad about what Kyle had said to her, back at the hotel in Los Angles, _"You're pretty when you're mad." _If so, that statement alone could have put a strain on their relationship unlike any past stupid altercation.

Zoe snorted unattractively, before rolling out of the teen's sinewy arms to observe her feet. They were red, and the skin looked to be peeling off—it was almost as if she was sunburned. In the future, this moment would serve to be a great party joke, but, right now, in current times, the daughter of Hades couldn't find any humor in the pain and heat that radiated off her scalded skin, (She felt and looked like a well-cooked red lobster.)

Kyle stared down at the girl's feet, her broken fingers, and, let us not forget the seared palm of her hand—which seemed to be oozing a pale green, (the crayon box would probably dub it lemony-lime, but no such combination of those fruits looked like that color) viscous fluid…how she was not reacting to the sensory overload was amazing.

Jessup, meanwhile, was still hanging upside down from the ceiling—and was half-passed fainting from the blood that was rushing to his head—when he heard (and felt) something hiss menacingly. "Aw, crap." He deadpanned, before twisting fruitlessly against the rough, taut fastenings that were secured around his knobby ankles. (On a later date, when he had the time to think back on the details; he will probably note that his bindings were, in fact, made of leather, and thus, he would accidently confirm a land standing joke of Mr. D's, that Apollo had a bondage fetish.)

First Apollo had to put that cool-looking lyre out on display, and then he went on and on about it as if obtaining it was going to be easy—and for what? So, he could to trick him into getting hogtied. Though, this time, instead of being tied up by a modestly hot teenage girl; he fell for the one of the cheapest traps in the book. If he were a character in a book, he would be dead, right now.

The only bright side was that he was suspended in mid-air, and did not have to face the perils of the sand; (Woohoo!) instead, he had to deal with a snake… or _snakes_."Ugh! It's always snakes, I hate snakes." Gritting his teeth, the blonde tried his very best to reach his ankles, so that he could untie the room. Unfortunately for Jessup, he was no athlete, (he had as much strength as a small, anemic girl) and quickly tired himself out. _What kind of Hermes child was he, anyways?_

Huffing, the half-blood gave up all-together, and let his arms dangle. He was just going to have to suffer for his absolutely stupidity and lack of self-preservation. Even though, it wasn't entirely _his_fault for thinking he could just take the damned lyre; because Apollo had told him over and over that it wasn't rigged.

Listening in for the hissing serpent, Jessup was thoroughly surprised when he noted that it sounded like it was well above his head. "Oh, thank you gods…!" He could almost cry—and he was pretty sure that he was, but, who knows? He couldn't feel his face.

On ground-level, Atlanta had all but given up on the stupid door and its stupid _riddle_; when, astonishingly, the stone passage gave way. The squirming blonde above ought to have loaned the demi-goddess some of his tears of joy; because all she could offer in means of celebration, (because she was _so _exhausted) was a weak pump of her fist in triumph.

The channel was by no means quiet; as it jerkily retreated into the archway, and when the sound reached Zoe, she pulled herself to her feet and darted clumsily over the sandstone bricks that lined the walls. The floor crumbled under her weight, and if Kyle had any hope of making it out, he had to run alongside her—which wasn't too hard to do, until a particularly large piece of the floor broke off, and Zoe almost lost her footing, as she hopped across the newly opened crevice.

The son of Nyx was almost swallowed into the swirling mass of sand; but unlike Zoe, he hadn't forgotten his Umbrakinesis, and was easily able to use the fleeing ravenette's shadow as a means of getting out of the sand.

It took a minute, but by time the two obsidian-haired, demigods made it to Atlanta's side, (and more importantly, solid ground that wasn't going to crumble) the redhead was trying to devise a plan to get Jessup down. Zoe immediately shot her idea down, "Blondie's fine! We're the ones' who almost got killed, and for what—?"

"You can go on without me!" Atlanta snapped at the younger demi-god, as she stared up worriedly at the suspended boy; the gears in her head whirring like the propellers on an airplane.

Zoe grunted, clearly disgruntled by the tone the redhead had taken with her. "You don't get to talk to me like that, Hunter!" She growled hotly, shoving the archer with as much strength as she could muster.

Atlanta jerked forward slightly, before coolly recovering with a heated glance over her shoulder. "Get out of here, Zoe." She hissed authoritatively, squaring her shoulders for added effect. "Go find the Lyre, and don't make me regret not putting you in your place."

The tension between the two of demi-goddesses was at an all-time high; but Kyle wasn't going to let the girls battle for dominance, while their lives were still, pretty much, at risk. "Zoe, come on…" He drawled softly, as he took hold of the girl by her thin arm, and pulled her towards the door. "We're wasting time, we have to go."

The daughter of Hades roughly reclaimed her arm, and spat on the ground rudely in response to the whole situation, before trotting off (followed closely by Kyle) with a trail of raw emotion left in her wake.

Atlanta furrowed her brows, (having been worked up by the intensity) as she tried to refocus on the task at hand. She gave herself less than two minutes to think, before she shouted up at the blonde. When he didn't respond to her first plea, she noticed that he was quickly losing consciousness.

"Nnngnh…stop hogging all the pillows—hey…Luke pass the waffles, I'm hungry," He murmured, mid-fantasy, as he wiggled his nose in discomfort.

Atlanta scrunched her face up, (not sure if she wanted to know what he was dreaming about) before she took a deep breath. "_JD, DON'T YOU DARE FALL ALSEEP!_"She hollered, her voice reverberating throughout the grimy compartment.

Jessup jolted from his imagination, mumbling about having a peaceful breakfast on Olympus. "Huh—oh, you're still here…" He slurred, arms flailing comically as he tried to wipe slobber from his parted lips.

"Yeah, I am… how do I get you down?"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kyle and Zoe found themselves faced with another puzzle. Mirrors were scattered across the room, as far as the eye can see, and were peppered around another Lyre. (It, unlike the other one did not shine a bright gold; but, instead was beautifully polished celestial bronze.)<p>

Two sets of dark eyes surveyed the room, and both of the quickly locked onto a lustrous beam of sunlight, that was pouring in from the ceiling. From the whole set up of the room, it was easy to tell what the brainteaser demanded.

"We're going to have to angle the mirrors—aim the sunlight at the l…" Kyle cut himself off, as he watched Zoe set out across the room; her eyes focused on a large, ornate mirror that was just begging to be fiddled with. _"Or, I could let you do it…" _

Unlike the preceding hall, it seemed that they were not going to have any interruptions, whatsoever. In fact, Zoe and Kyle were able to bounce the sunlight off of all but one looking glass, and the latter was already on his way to doing so. In retrospect, aside from the odd hallucinations, the quicksand, and the guards; it was probably the tamest challenge of the lot.

The son of Nyx was on alert, (the chamber was way too quiet—this portion of the trial seemed to be just a tad too easy) as he laid two calloused hands on the satin sheet that was splayed over the last round mirror. Sparing a cautioned glance around the room, he pulled the covering off and immediately deadpanned.

The mirror was destroyed, (to be more specific, the glass had been shattered to a million pieces, and then the pretty, bronze frame had been beaten until it bent) and for whatever reason, Kyle suspected that it had just recently been broken.

Peeling his midnight orbs away from the fragmented vanity, the ravenette subconsciously assumed a defense posture. Years of overexerting himself on the battlefield took over, as the teen steeled his nerves, and quickly began readying himself for what he believed would be a surprise attack.

Without his blade, (or any of his armaments, for that matter) he had only his raw strength to rely on. (Not to say that his hand-to-hand wasn't any good; but, let someone like the fabled Acanthus come rounding the corner; he would rather rely on his sword's razor-edge than his knuckles to lay the beast.)

He was completely entangled in a web of concentration, when his eyes caught the first flash of the creature, and though he couldn't make out what it was, he was completely sure that he would need more than even an adequate sword to kill it. Kyle's gaze met with Zoe's and neither of them needed to exchange words, for the daughter of Hades to get the message.

They were being watched—_hunted._

There was a tiny, almost unnoticeable part of Kyle's mind that was just screaming to him to call on his family for aid. His mother was always willing to help, and was sometimes a little too overbearing, some (Zeus) would say. His brothers—what were they good for? Maybe his nephew Morpheus would help? After all, the old bastard still owed him a favor. Anyone but his would do, at this point.

As his mind raced at an unholy pace, Kyle quickly decided that, since his brother Moros wasn't hanging over his shoulder, doing that obnoxious doom-dance of his; that his end wasn't yet near. (Though, the ravenette would often ponder if he would ever succumb to Thanatos' coos, as he was born to the immortal, primordial goddess Nyx and a titan; and was a god, in his own right.)

Though, just because Moros wasn't hanging over his head like a raincloud; did not mean that Zoe (Jessup or Atlanta) was safe. Creeping over to the petite demi-goddess, Kyle was about to shoo her from the chamber; when, suddenly, the creature sprang forth—seemingly from one of the many mirrors—with a haughty laugh.

"For what do I owe the honor of being bestowed the presence of the spawn of the gods?" It inquired with an excited tone, as it flew out into the open, and landed on one of the pristine (if not a bit dusty) looking-glasses.

Both of the teens stared slack jawed at the creature, but, only Zoe spoke on the matter. "What the _hell_—" She started, glancing between the animal and her companion. Just when she thought she couldn't be shocked anymore, she found herself uttering the phrase, "Kyle… is that giant chicken _talking_ to _**us**_?"

Kyle shot a confused look at Zoe, before hastily whispering, _"That's not a chicken."_

The fowl cawed indignantly, "**I'VE BEEN OFFENDED!"** before hopping off its perch on the mirror, and swooping over Zoe's head. It was needless to say that the girl dodged the bird's sharp claws; but what she hadn't anticipated was the creature dropping an egg on her head.

"Retribution—I demand retribution for that repulsive slur!" It grumbled, before angrily pecking at the feathers gathered along its magnificent wing.

Zoe was hissing and making harsh faces of disgust, as she rubbed yolk out her face."OH, you'd better hope I don't get this shit out of my eye; or else, I'm frying your ass for lunch!" Using her slimy fingers, she slicked her hair out of her eyes and started to furiously wiping the egg from her lashes with the sleeve of her clothes.

If Kyle had been one to blatantly laugh in people's faces, (like Zoe) he would have been bursting in tears. Instead, he wore a grim look on his face, as he listened to the two go at it; _"__Insolent little imp!__"_, _"__Who are you calling little, fat ass!__"_ (_Okay, maybe it was a little humorous._)

"**ENOUGH!"**The bird bellowed, right as Zoe threatened to pluck its feathers, and dust it over with the Colonel Harland Sander's Special Eleven Herbs and Spices. "I shall no longer entertain you, and your foul language, _demi-god_." The last portion of the creature's statement was oozing with venom.

Kyle caught a firm grip on Zoe's shoulders, holding her at bay, as the feathered guardian took to the air, soaring above them for a good five minutes before settling on another mirror. "Son of Nyx…Tell me—why have you come?" The bird's beady, golden-colored eyes shone in the light that swathed the compartment."Other than the obvious reason," It nudged its head towards the sunbathed lyre."What is it that you desire?"

The ravenette opened his mouth to answer—but, found himself without anything to say. He possessed no substantial explanation; other than having shared a vision with the others, and being told by Jessup that he _had _to go. He wasn't questing for power or peace. Nor was he after knowledge or acceptance. He only really came along, because he didn't say that he wouldn't go—though, admittedly, he couldn't have declined; because he always did what people told him.

The teen shrugged; completely at a lost. Was the fowl asking him one of those riddle-questions that could lead to a grand epiphany of epic proportions, or…what? "I desire nothing…" He answered lamely, after a few moments passed.

The creature shook its head in disapproval."You should not have to think about your answer, child." Spreading its wings as a show of fatigue, it cocked its head to the side. "Perhaps, I have failed to realize that you are not _here_—in Apollo's sacred reserve—for your own gain; and neither is the girl." Fluttering its odd, vertical lids closed, the large avian bounced on its claws.

The room's pulse went dead, as the two ravenettes eyed the creature, waiting for it to speak. For the first time; the temple's guardian wasn't out for blood—so, whatever it was worth, they wanted to milk it for as much information as they could.

Suddenly, the bird swooped down and landed coolly on the floor, and the minute it made contact, it burst into light—nothing bright enough to make the duo blind, but they surely turned their heads momentarily.

When they looked back up, instead of there being a giant bird, it was a beautiful woman with the skin of a snake. Her scales were oily, slicked with a viscous fluid, and her feathers were sliding off.

"Ahh…So—you two are nothing more than utensils, serving your use?" Her voice was like a tolling church bell, and her beautiful, flaxen-colored hair began coiling itself around her bare form. "Such a shame…"She tsked, before folding her arms to her side, as if she were still a bird. "Who is it, if I may ask? Surely, the Olympians are not orchestrating this?"

Zoe pursed her lips in defiance; she didn't want to—and wasn't going to—tell this creature anything. Kyle didn't seem to get the massage, because, he started filling the humanoid in. The ravenette was wary, yes; but, ultimately, he told her about the vision—Aphrodite's temple, about how they were in possession of Apollo's Sun Chariot—and most importantly, he told her about Jessup.

The woman regarded Kyle with appreciative gold eyes, before shaking her head solemnly. "I fear for you, young warriors." She began to lazily amble round, and around the podium that the Lyre rested on; like a snake that was preparing to rest. "Nexus is once again, amongst us—and, yet, you all have been tasked with a fool's errand." Hissing her displeasure, the woman started to move her elegant hand. She slithered it around in zigzagging motions, before resting on the lyre.

A thoughtful look crossed her face, as she grappled the stand with her webbed-feet and perched herself atop of it. "Given my enteral life, I have often found myself devoting time to contemplating Lord Zeus' reasoning abilities. Not questioning, just pondering…" She quickly corrected. "Perhaps he has gotten soft."

"Cut the crap, lady," Zoe interjected, shimmying out of Kyle's grip when she realized that he wasn't holding her anymore. "And give us the damned Lyre, so we can get out of here."

The blonde humanoid blinked, (and when she did, a fine, mucous membrane settled over her eyes) before letting out a low sigh. "My title is Guardian of the Horizons; but, I would prefer if you addressed me as Alcinda." She answered with a hushed tone, while her scaly digits danced across the instrument. "I bore Apollo many progeny, and was granted eternal life."

"Yuck…! I didn't ask for all that." Zoe shuddered, visibly disturbed by Alcinda's blunt honesty. "And, I think you may have gotten cheated, Allie… immortal may sound pretty bitchin', but if you're stuck as a chicken—"

"_**I AM A CROW!" **_Alcinda's thin, forked tongue peaked out from between her lips, as she hissed furiously at the demi-goddess; who went on to mockingly point out that the female was now a snake. Clearing her throat, she quickly recovered from her outburst. "I do not wish to journey down the path of hostility, any longer, daughter of Hades."

Was her way of extending the olive branch—Zoe, couldn't tell, and really didn't care. "What the _hell _ever. Just give us the damned thing so we can go."Holding her hand out to accept the lyre, the ravenette was somewhat surprised when Alcinda glided towards her and placed Apollo's sacred instrument in her hands. It was heavier than the demi-goddess had anticipated, so her shoulders ended up sagging, as her arms pulled the lavish, celestial object to her chest.

"Arm yourselves, as I fear that Nexus will poison the rivers of blood that bind thee." With that Alcinda folded her arms across her chest, and fell backwards into a flash of light—and from that came the crow that flew up to the sky; flying through the superficial sunroof, as if it were made of air. Perhaps, it was?

When Zoe brought her gaze back down from the ceiling, her eyes met Kyle. They both wore the same mirrored look of confusion, but neither of them had gotten the chance to speak on it; as the loud sound of heavy stone slid against heavy stone interrupted their thoughts. Twin midnight orbs locked on the door, as it slowly peeled open, once more.

Even though Zoe hadn't liked Alcinda in the slightest; part of her wanted the woman to come back and explain her, rather cryptic, statements (First; about the'fool's errand' thing—more importantly, who was this Nexus prick? That morose look she got on her face, when she regarded Lord Zeus, didn't help either. Ugh…all this overanalyzing was hurting her head.)

But, seriously—was Alcinda suggesting that they were being distracted from something? That they were being used…? (But, by whom exactly—obviously, whoever was orchestrating this whole operation.)

Suddenly, realization hit the ravenette. "I think that bitch set us up." She growled, before shoving the cumbersome lyre into Kyle's arms, and rushing off to the door.

The son of Nyx wasn't initially sure of who Zoe was referring to, but, when he took the hint; he hastily rushed after her—because, after all, if Jessup wasn't stringing them along for his personal gain, she could be marching off to kill an innocent pre-teen.

* * *

><p>Amazingly, while the two ravenettes stomped around in the other room, the sand whirlpool dissipated—completely vanished—and the bindings around Jessup's leg unraveled, and the blonde plummeted to the floor below with a <em><strong>THUD <strong>_and a _**UMMPTH! **_

Atlanta had been taken by surprise, but, ultimately took the whole situation in stride, and sauntered coolly to her companion. "Are you okay, JD?" She asked, grabbing the blonde by his shoulder, and rolling him onto his side.

He was motionless, (aside from his torso aggressively heaving up and down, as he coughed up a good lungful of sand) and it took several moments for the room to stop spinning. Groaning as pain vibrated throughout his form, Jessup sensed Atlanta's hand nearby, and reached out for it. "Ugh, yeah… thanks." He hissed through clenched teeth, as he was sat upright.

Atlanta looked around, immensely puzzled by how the sand-trap chamber slowly transformed into a posh hotel suite—and to make things stranger; Zoe (with Kyle hot on her heels) had reemerged from what was now the bathroom, with an ominous look on her face.

"Zoe…? What's going on—what happened?" The redhead asked carefully, as the demi-goddess in question started across the room with a deadly aura swirling over her head. Of course, when Atlanta didn't get an answer from her, she looked up to Kyle, (silently praying that they didn't go and lose the lyre, or something like that. She almost instantly relaxed, when she saw the object resting harmlessly in the crook of the demi-god's arms.)

Okay, if it wasn't the lyre, then what was it? "YOU'VE GOT FIVE SECONDS TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF, BLONDIE," Zoe roared, violently flipping a beautiful recliner (that had just apparated in front of her) out of her path. The expensive piece of furniture fragmented, as it tumbled and rolled for several quick seconds, before smashing apart, when it hit the wall. "FIVE—"

Atlanta glanced between the ruined chair and Zoe, (who was rapidly approaching them) and quickly readied herself for the fight that was about to break out. "What ever happened, Zoe, you need to calm down." She tried to reason, but the younger demi-goddess wasn't going to hear it. Not from her. Not from anyone.

"_FOUR—"_

If the daughter of Hades had been a dragon; smoke would have been pouring out of her nostrils. "THREE—_to shit with it_—HOW LONG WERE YOU GOING TO DO THIS, BLONDIE—HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO _TRY_ TO USE US!" She was as fierce in her accusations, as she kicked over a defenseless table that had gotten in her way.

"Zoe…!"Kyle started, when the bathroom door slammed loudly behind him, and the lights in the room dimmed a bit. Down the hall, they could hear footfall fast approaching. That is… if they were listening for it.

When the incensed Demi-goddess was within two long strides of Jessup, Atlanta had already jumped to her feet and caught the girl by the bend of her arms. "Whoa, Zoe—quit flipping your shit, and just calm down for a second!" Though, the redhead was easily strong enough to hold Zoe at bay, her arms still trembled with fatigue.

"Let go of me, Hunter." Zoe hissed, struggling ferociously.

Jessup smoothed his hands through his hair, coolly, before sighing and getting to his feet. "You found out already, huh…? Well, there goes my plan for world domination." Even without his eyes, he knew just how irate Zoe must have looked. "So, who told you, or was I just that obvious?"

Atlanta glanced between the teens; her green eyes blown wide with confusion, as they all started talking over her head. Apparently, Zoe and Kyle had learned something new—something that was totally _not _good—about Jessup (and since the boy wasn't denying any of Zoe's claims; they had to be atleast somewhat true.) and from what she had gathered, she wasn't sure she wanted to stand at his defense anymore.

He was being called every name in the book; but, the thing that stood out to Atlanta was that, more than once, Zoe had mentioned a woman named Alcinda, who had seemingly told her something unsavory about the blind adolescent.

Not liking to be left out of the loop, the daughter of Artemis opened her mouth to speak; but was interrupted, when the aforementioned footsteps arrived outside the room, and the door swung open.

"I hope you enjoyed your stay at the Golden Horizon." Ms. Leos chirped, as she leaned into the room. Her happiness would only last a moment longer; because, her eyes had swept across the suite, and she found herself gaping at the broken furniture on the floor. "Oh, my…" She gasped, daintily, as she laid a hand on her rapidly beating heart. "This won't do, not one bit—" The woman worried, biting the tips of her fingers. Looking up at the vandals, she shook her head furiously. "You all need to vacate the premises, immediately," and for an added bite, she added, "—_Or else!_"

There was no time to question her authority, because, it seemed as if the room itself had coughed them out into the hallway.

* * *

><p>The next thing they knew, they were back in the lobby.<p>

The blonde receptionist from earlier smiled at them, (though her eyes shone with unabashed cruelty) as she handed them their bags, and bowed politely, "I really, really, hope you enjoyed your stay." Her smile widened. "Come back anytime—just not too soon. Apollo's expecting a more (how should I put this?) _cultured _guest, and we wouldn't want you all scaring them off."

Just like that, they were tossed on their asses outside—at night… which was strange, because they could have sworn they were in there for only a few hours. Luckily, the buses never stopped running—because Miami really came to life, after dark—and they were able to hitch a ride to a cozy, and not to mention cheap, bed and breakfast to spend the night.

They ended up getting two rooms, though, because Kyle was sure that Zoe would try to snuff Jessup out in his sleep. In the end, they bunked based on gender—and each side was desperate to know more about what was going on.

Atlanta just wanted to be brought up to speed; (just in case Jessup was evil, or whatever, which would have been totally devastating; because, she had been his friend since he showed up at camp.) whereas Kyle wanted to know the how, the what, the when, where and who.

"Who are you, really?" The son of Nyx asked quietly, as he leaned on the half-ajar door that leads to the bathroom. He did best to keep his voice down, just in case the duo in the other hotel room could hear through the paper-thin walls.

Jessup scratched his cheek; either in mid-thought, or just to distract himself from the awkwardness—Kyle wasn't one for conversing; period. So, why did he have to talk to him? Moments passed, as the blonde tried his best to shake off the weight of unease. "I am—_Jessup._" He hesitated for a moment too long, which let the ravenette know he was lying. "Look—if I'm going to put it all out there, I don't want to have to repeat it. I'll tell the lot of you tomorrow, when we meet up with the others in Wisconsin."

"How do they know we're going to be there?" Kyle folded his arms over his chest.

Jessup shrugged tiredly, before climbing in the one bed that preoccupied the tiny room. "Oh, they'll know. Now, you—get some shut eye. You're going to have to process a lot of information, tomorrow, since the Cat's out of the bag."

It goes without saying that; even though Kyle did not get the information he sought—Zoe was willing to tell Atlanta everything (for the right price.) After she was clued in, and then some, the redhead was sure that her eyes were going to stay permanently bulged out of their sockets. Could the gods be trying to distract them? Was Jessup using them…? And who was_ Nexus_?

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: The Feathers in the Wheatfield – challenge four.<strong>

"**Oh, so we're still doing that 'not trusting me' thing?" Jessup asked sheepishly, over the fingernail that he was trying so desperately to tear off with his thumb. **

**Zoe spat on the ground beside him, before turning her head up. "I never trusted you, you dumb, traitor bitch."**

**Sky sniffed, scratching her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, before sneezing. "Zoe—he's not a traitor. Jessup—you deserve everything to get, because you're a no good liar." Letting out a whooping cough, the demi-goddess slumped in her chair. "Ugh… It's too cold in here!" **

**Stephanie frowned, "That's your flu talking. It's over 80 degrees in here." **

"**I'm a liar?" Jessup gaped, folding his arms over the surface of the cool, smooth table. "COME ON, you guys, that's not fair. You guys just never asked."**

"**How would we even know to ask you something like that?" Katie argued, leaning forward on her elbows. "I mean, _I_ would have never guessed you were a woman!" **


	6. The reveal of Nexus

**A\N: Oh, oooh! You guys thought I stopped updating, didn't you? *Gets a brick thrown at her* Okay, I deserved that. I truly had no distractions to keep me from writing this chapter; well, except that I've been reading the Harry Potter books as of late… They are SO addictive~ **

**Sooo, before we get started, I just want to put in a warning... THERE'S ALOT OF SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER. Including the infamous 'F' bomb; which I feel is _completely_ justified, because it was said by an adult. Other than that, there's just alot of plot revealing. Resist the urge to roll your eyes at my lame attempt at being aloof and interesting. Please and thank you! **

**As always, I thank you guys for reading and reviewing; and I'm deeply grateful to _Starfan1245, DuskLightening, Neon Templar, Artemishunter77, GoGreen216, Smartone101 and August57 _for letting me use their characters.**

* * *

><p>The dawn looked gorgeous across the Midwest—like a fine portrait, it was so surreal. The canvas having been painted up with a beautiful powder blue that swirled into magnificent shades of azure, sapphire and cerulean, and decorated with fluffy, (almost cotton-like) white swells of vapor, that danced and twisted throughout the landscape like exuberant coryphées. And from where the sun emerged; the sky was decorated with deep, breathtaking shades of vermilion, gold, and ochre.<p>

Everyone from the locals, to the local weatherpersons had something to say about it, ("Gorgeous.", "Breathtaking.", "Alison, you should really get a picture! I've never seen the sky look so pretty.") And to be quite frank, Katie couldn't stand another moment of it. For an hour and a half, she had been channel surfing; flipping passed all the corny early morning children's shows and all the infomercials, and when she had stopped on the local channel 3 news, they had been reporting the weather—more like ogling the skies—and from there, a chain reaction started. From channel to channel everyone had been throwing in their two cents.

"It's official. There's nothing on." She sighed, turning the TV off and flicking the remote onto the twin bed that sat adjacent to her.

Unfortunately, Stephanie had been sitting on the bed, and was hit by the remote. She instantly stirred from her catnap, and jolted upright to rub her throbbing shoulder. "Ow," The brunette hissed, as she rubbed her tired eyes, and moved to climb out of the bed. "You know that's abuse, right, Kat? What did I, or the remote, ever do to you?"

The daughter of Nike shrugged coolly, before letting out a yawn. "The remote didn't find me anything good to watch, and you kept sticking your feet in my face on the ride here. So, really, I think it's a win-win for me." A grin crossed her face when the older demi-goddess stared at her incredulously, before schooling her expression.

"I only stuck my feet in your face, because you kept doing that _thing._" Stephanie countered, as she untangled her legs from the duvet.

"Aw, you mean my victory noise?" Katie grinned ear to ear, before letting out a loud cheer. The noise echoed throughout the suite, and resonated deep within Stephanie's chest. It was unknown, the power the children of Nike held, but, if there was one thing for sure—they could inflict Hubris on those around them.

When Almond orbs met Emerald ones, they flashed with an apologetic glint. "Okay, I'll stop now…" The tiny brunette promised, crossing her fingers for further effect.

"Fine, I'll let it slide… for now." Stephanie conceded, as she climbed off the bed and began to stretch. "Though, riddle me this—do you do that victory noise around, that boy—James?"

Katie's eyes widened considerably, as she shook her head. "Oh, so, know him? Yeah, isn't he from the Nemesis Cabin? I see you make eyes at him all the time." A smirk crossed her face when her companion made a sharp sound of disapproval. "Aw, Kat, I think it's cute that you're crushing on guys your age, for once." Giggling quietly to herself, she twisted and angled her body in different complex poses to work out the kinks.

"Besides, James is a sweet guy, (or, so I've heard) you two would make a cute pair." Her grin quickly disappeared, when she found herself ducking, just in time, to avoid a slobber-covered pillow that was being thrown at her head.

"Don't talk about him, like that, Steph! He's just a friend." Katie frowned deeply, as her face flushed a dark shade of crimson. It was obvious that she did not like to be teased—more so, she didn't like that, despite all of her warning; the blondish-brunette never ceased meddling in her private affairs. _"Don't talk about my love-life like it's a joke!" _

From there, the two girls got into a little wrestling bout. Though, don't worry, it was pure fun and games. (You know; if you could call wrestling with a girl who was born to win—and hell-bent on doing so ALL the time—fun and games.)

Now, to put everything in prospective for all of those who are lost_; almost a week ago, (to be more specific, six days ago at Midnight) Matthew, Sky, Katie and Stephanie had completed Dionysus' trial and retrieved the Bushel of Golden Grapes. _

_Five days ago, they checked into a hotel and painstakingly pulling celestial glass out of Sky's skin—which lead to a lot of awkward fumbling, because Katie had elected Matthew to do it, and obviously, he didn't want to, so a little fighting broke out. _

_Three days ago; the lot of them had received a vision from—who knows?—to come to Wisconsin to meet up with the other halve of their group, (who had set off to Miami and had yet to contact them) because, for whatever reason, it was extremely important. _

_They had sped out to Wisconsin without a moment to waste. (On a side note: Stephanie got to drive, because she slid over the hood—Dukes of Hazard Style—and stole the driver's seat; while Matthew was exchanging the hotel key.) After laborious traveling, rest-stops, pointless arguments and etcetera; they were now kicking up their feet at a local lodging house, waiting for another sign._

_And to shed a little light on the whole situation with Katie and all her obnoxiousness…it was simple. She had been deprived of sleep for days straight, because Matthew had ripped the head off her favorite stuffed-animal; Nikólaos the Lion. _

_Though, don't get any ideas, she was not a child anymore, and did not enjoy the company of dolls; (both her mother and her dad would adamantly disagree with that statement—but, they weren't here, so...HA!) _

_It was just that the Nikólaos was important to her… Katie had him by her side since (forever) she was an infant—her mother had given him to her as a token of love; because she knew she couldn't be there for her. All of her fears and insecurities; Nikólaos chased away. All of her hopes and dreams; Nikólaos cheered her on. It is needless to say that his absence would cause her restlessness—especially, since he had been brutally beheaded and stashed under the floor mat of the Maserati._

_As a bit of revenge, Katie waited until Matthew had gotten good and cozy on his bed; tittering on the edge of sleep, but never quite falling to one side or the other, before she let out her signature cheer, hopped on his cot and shoved her feet in his face. Split between her two dainty feet, were twenty faces—each with an array of expressions—and when she was sure the son of Apollo was good and confused; she wiggled her toes and began singing 'Where is Thumbkin.'_

_Matthew didn't, at all, appreciate her crooning or her smelly toes, and pushed her off the bed as soon as the numbness of sleep ebbed. "Go bother someone else, Knapp." He hissed, before dragging himself out of the bed and straight towards the bathroom—which was just being vacated by Sky; who had been sick to her stomach all day—and then out the front door. _

_Apparently, the burger she ate on the way, wasn't as good as it looked; because, Sky had been shivering and puking in equal amounts for a good duration of the trip here. _

Said girl had just stirred from her slumber, in a tangle of bed sheets by the A\C as usual, to holler at the two brunettes; demanding that they cease their aggressive (but, still somehow friendly) tussling. "I feel gross, I'm choking on boogers—all I asked you guys was to LET ME SLEEP!" Her voice was hoarse, and almost immediately after she finished shrieking, she went into a coughing fit—which led to another trip to the bathroom.

Katie frowned ruefully, as the sound of the redhead's retching carried well outside the bathroom. "Stephanie, can't you do anything for her? Your dad is made of sunshine and medicine, after all."

Stephanie had a thoughtful look on her face, as she began climbing back onto the bed from her spot on the floor. Once propped up on the bed, she took in the worried look on Katie's face and then the sight of a very miserable Sky pulling herself out the bathroom. "I did everything I could to bring your fever down," The daughter of Apollo started with a sigh. "But, if you promise not to spew on me; Sky, I'll do what I can about your nausea."

The redhead shot her a thankful expression, before gagging and racing back to the lavatory—though, this time, she was accompanied by both Katie and Stephanie. The trio of demi-goddesses would stay holed up in the bathroom, until Matthew returned with urgency in his confident movements. "I know where the others are."

* * *

><p>The others didn't have such a fun time traveling, either. Zoe wasn't doing a good job hiding the fact that she couldn't trust Jessup with a speck of dust, (but most supposed that that was alright; because, she really never trusted anyone in the first place) and made it her top priority to push him or shove him every time he got too close to her. "—bastard," Atlanta caught her swearing under her breath, as they exited their hotel room, with the others in tow, and headed towards the road to hail a cab.<p>

Yes, it was unnerving to be within the blonde's presence, knowing now that he was keeping secrets and whatnot; but, the daughter of Artemis wasn't about to go spitting in his face just because. After all, people are innocent until proven guilty; (on a separate note: that same line of thinking is exactly why she found herself fatefully following Luke, until her mother dragged her back to the good guys.) though, admittedly; Luke was a lot more than _a little guilty_, when she had went away with him. Okay, who was she to talk about innocence?

It got to be too much for Jessup. All this dancing around the bush—Zoe constantly stepping on his toes—even _he_ couldn't take it much longer. With a fierce roar, the boy finally snapped. "I'M TIRED OF THIS!"

They were standing in the middle of the Airport's underground parking garage, when the blonde had put his foot down, and spun around to face his companions. "You don't trust me—that's one thing. But, all of this—this—whatever it is; it's driving me freaking crazy!" Without another word to the others, he whipped back around, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small item. No one could make out what it was, but they needn't try, because it was transforming into a sword.

Everyone (okay, only Atlanta) gaped, as the blonde ran his hand along the blade, which appeared to be shimmering in the scant light. It wasn't like they hadn't seen a weapon before; some of them had swords, themselves—it was more shocking that Jessup who was holding it; hell, it was shocking that Jessup even had a sword.

_Jessup doesn't use weapons!_ Atlanta vaguely recalled the blonde, during his earlier days at camp, telling her that he was a pacifist; meaning that he would rather handle his battles with words, rather than weapons. (Which was strange for a demi-god; but, he was strange as a whole. So, she never asked further.) Maybe, Zoe was right. Maybe this wasn't the real Jessup, after all. Monsters had done a lot more to get a leg up on unsuspecting demi-gods.

"If you guys are ready to act like adults, come and find me." Jessup hissed over his shoulder, before slicing the air around him and—whoa—teleporting.

Tension hung heavy in the air, as the trio stood there—too shocked to do much than stare at the area that Jessup had just been. It was a full ten minutes before someone's blaring horn jolted them from their stupor. "GET OUT THE WAY! Stupid kids…" The driver hissed, as she rolled passed them.

Zoe flipped them driver off with both of her hands—or, atleast, she tried. "IF YOU SAW US STANDING HERE; YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN YOUR ASS ON THE OTHER WAY!" When the Mercedes kept on going, the ravenette yelled, "YOU BETTER KEEP DRIVING!" The driver was lucky she didn't come back. Who knows what the daughter of Hades would have done, if she could have pulled her out the car.

"Calm down, Zoe—CALM DOWN." Atlanta commanded, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders, before squeezing. "Save your fury for later—right now, we have to find Jessup. He still owes us an explanation; and I think he, at least, deserves to be heard out."

The redhead coming in defense of Jessup made Zoe's blood boil. "YOU," She hissed, spinning out of the archer's hold. Craning her neck so she could glare at those two, large avocado-orbs, she gritted her teeth. "YOU'RE ALWAYS STANDING UP FOR HIM! WHY THE _HELL'S_ THAT?" Putting her hands on her hips, to prevent from trying to strangle the older woman, she continued, "YOU THINK I'M NOT BEING _FAIR_, HUNTER? YOU THINK I'M PICKING ON HIM? YOU THINK HE DESERVES _MY _TRUST—HUH? IS THAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT, WHEN YOU MARCHED WITH LUKE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF—"

Zoe was interrupted when Atlanta slapped her. "….!" Her head whipped sharply to the side, sending obsidian tresses into a strange, jerky dance. Onyx eyes welled to the brim with fury just, as her cheek started to redden as blood rushed to the surface. "You bitch…" She growled, righting herself, as she put a hand on her suddenly hot face.

A fire raged behind Atlanta's eyes, as the redhead squared her shoulders and began to speak with a low, menacing voice, "Don't fuck with me." Was what she said, simple and clear as day; and that was all she needed to say.

As reluctant as Zoe was to stand down, she was smart enough to know that she was treading on paper-thin ice. And without any knowledge of Atlanta's combat style, (other than the fact that she was an archer) it was truly hard to gauge how difficult a fight with her may be.

She wasn't like the others, Zoe knew that; she was undeniably special, and let those around her underestimate her abilities on a regular basis; only to come back and lay them on their ass—who's to say that she couldn't tear the ravenette apart with her bare hands?

"If you've got a problem with him, or me, you can take your ass back to camp." Atlanta started, with sweltering assurance in her tone. "I want to know more, I want to know why—and so does Kyle—" She motioned to the teen behind her. Who stiffly shook his head—as if to say that he didn't want any part of their squabble. "So, if you're afraid of the train; get off if the fucking tracks, Zoe."

Wraith overcame Zoe's sense of reason, as she lunged at the redhead with a fierce yell. The two girls hit the cold, concrete hard, and Atlanta let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. Expletives and punches were exchanged back and forth, as the girls tumbled and rolled, as they scrapped.

Kyle kicked the girls' bags away from them, before dropping his backpack into the pile, and jumping into the fray. He grabbed Zoe by the collar of her clothing, and trapped her beneath his body when she kicked his legs out from under him.

Their brawl lasted from well over thirteen minutes; until the loud, earsplitting sound of security sirens echoed throughout the car park. Fight or not, they had to get out while they could. Spending a night in jail wouldn't make anyone more right than the other.

Bloodied, trembling hands grabbed bag after bag, as the demi-gods raced away. Those same hands came together, and before Atlanta could blink, she felt as if she was swallowed up by darkness. The very shadows that crept, and writhed, and winded throughout the parking lot, like, inky black vines seemed to be pulling her away.

Wind rushed into her lungs—filling them… forcing them to expand painfully. Her waterline stung, as air whipped her face. Her hair fluttered and waved, as if she had stuck her out of a car that was racing two hundred miles an hour. Her stomach did flips and turns, and her heart thrummed at a staccato pace.

She felt her head spin for what felt like forever, and then, suddenly, it was over. She was lurching forward, falling onto her hands and knees—on a sunny parking lot that burned under her scraped up palms. Willing herself not to expel the food in her stomach, she blinked wildly, before glancing up.

They definitely weren't at the airport anymore. Staring innocently at her was a cozy restaurant. When her eyes settled, Atlanta was able to make out the sign: Sissy's Diner, it read in big, loopy words.

"W—Where are we?" Atlanta gasped, as she pushed herself up and off the ground. Her knees were still wobbling.

"Sissy's Diner," Zoe growled straightforwardly, before slinging her backpack up her arm, and onto her lanky shoulder, before she started across the lot. For having such short legs, she took really long strides. In less than twenty steps, she was at the door. Yanking it open with a tiny hand, she disappeared inside.

Kyle suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, "We're in Wisconsin." He offered, smoothing his hands through his hair. His fingers got caught a few times in the gold highlights. "The others are in there."

"H-How—" Atlanta dragged a deep breath in, before she shook her head. "Never mind…" Adjusting her bag; she shook off the negative energy that was still grabbing at her, before heading into the eatery, herself.

Kyle watched her closely—wondering—before he followed after.

The atmosphere in Sissy's was subdued and cheery—which was more than most could say about the waitresses (who of which, toddled around as if the world was about to end, and they had to spend their last day working)—the few patrons that were inside seemed to be enjoying themselves, and the air-conditioning was just perfect: not too cold, not too hot.

Which was, temporarily, a good thing for Sky; because, after the combined efforts of Stephanie and Matthew, (who had managed to cure her nausea) her internal body-temp went crazy. She went from feverishly heated, to chillier than a snowman in mid-winter. The only temperature she really felt comfortable with was the sticky, humid air that swirled around. After all, it kind of was her natural habitat. Percy Jackson had the water, Nico (and Zoe) had graveyards, and she had intense wind tunnels.

Shuddering, Sky leaned on Matthew's shoulder—her hair tickling his chin, as short breaths escaped her parted, chapped lips and splashed warmth along his neck. He would have pushed her away; if not for the fact that his touch was like medicine to her flushed skin.

Katie and Stephanie had been looking at the same, retro cheeseburger-shaped menu for the past ten minutes, when the entrance bell sounded for the first time. Emerald, almond, and turquoise eyes darted up quickly, to see who had entered this time; and it was a pleasant surprise (for once) when they spotted Zoe. She practically jolted the door off its hinges with the force she used.

"Hey! Over here, Zoe!" Katie called, waving the seething ravenette over. Either she was unaware of the heat that was rising off of her, or didn't care, because she continued to signal and such, until the daughter of Hades slid into the booth beside Stephanie and herself.

Since the booth was really only made for two people; Katie ended up having to scoot towards the window, when the other teen had taken a seat, leaving Stephanie to sit squished in between them. Which she didn't like one bit.

Clearing her throat, as she dropped the menu on the table, once more, Stephanie threw a wary glance to Zoe. "What took you guys so long?" The heat that swirled around Zoe seemed to have gotten a lot hotter, at her question, and the daughter of Apollo quickly changed the subject. "You know, Hutton, this is the best your hair as ever looked." Her statement was random as pigs flying, but, it softened the mood just until Atlanta and Kyle had entered.

"Hey, you guys! Over here." Katie was about to start her obnoxious gesturing again; but, halted quickly, as she had received an elbow in the side from Stephanie and a kick in the shin from Matthew. The looks they had given her read, STOP IT.

Kyle nodded to them, before letting Atlanta lead the way. The archer outright ignored Zoe, as she slid into the booth beside Sky—which effectively trapped Matthew against the window. He didn't look at all pleased by this.

The son of Nyx scooped up a lonesome chair, and pulled it up to the table. Sitting down, he quietly observed his fellow questers. His midnight gaze met Sky's, and she let out a whooping cough. From there, he looked at Katie; who was giving Matthew and Stephanie withering glares for hitting her. Kyle scratched the back of his head when he noticed how casually Atlanta was flipping through the menu, and how Zoe was glaring at her as if her stare could make the eldest traveler combust.

_Thank the gods she wasn't the child of Hephaestus. _

"So…" Stephanie finally spoke up, as she thrummed her fingers on the cold, polished table. "There's only three of you—where's JD?" It was as if she had stuck curdled milk under both Zoe and Atlanta's noses, because both girls were scrunching their faces up.

Katie almost stood up in her chair, as she glanced around the tiny blonde. Stephanie was right—he was nowhere to be seen! "D-Did he…?"She started, breathlessly; silently praying that he hadn't died. It would be too soon, far too soon. Nike had promised her that they would see victory, so long as she prayed to her… Perhaps, she didn't appease her mother?

"He's not dead," Atlanta revealed, with a sigh as she tried not to put the menu down. "Zoe chased him away."

The daughter of Hades slammed her fist down on the table; which successfully got the attention of those around them. She waited until they turned their attention away, before she leaned in especially close, before hissing, "Jessup is a good for nothing liar and Hunter is looking out for him; because, she's lost her damned mind."

"Don't start this shit again, Zoe." Atlanta snarled, dropping the menu at long last, so that she could stare at the other demi-goddess.

The others had no idea what was going on, but were immediately put on the edge of their seats, when they heard the tone that Atlanta had taken. Something serious must have gone down, after all.

Sky suppressed her shivers just long enough, to pull herself together for a question, "What do you mean, she scared him away? What happened?"

It seemed that, just now, both Zoe and Atlanta had taken a vow of silence; because, neither of them went to elaborate. Kyle groaned inwardly, before leaning forward tensely. "In Apollo's sanctuary; we met the guardian Alcinda." He began, not exactly sure how to put it all to words. He wasn't used to talking for extended periods of time. "And—well—she told us that we were all being used, and that we're in mortal danger. She believes that it's not the Olympians that want us to complete their trials… Zoe thinks Jessup using us—for a great power."

When the puzzled demi-gods looked to Zoe for confirmation, they deadpanned when they received it in the form of an almost unnoticeable nod. "Whoa…" Katie gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "What do you mean we're being used?"

Kyle shook his head swiftly. "I don't know. Alcinda didn't give us much information. She's was just as cryptic, as she was helpful."

Trembling half from the sudden temperature spike throughout her body—half from what she had been hearing, Sky coughed, "Where's Jessup, now?" She sounded drunk, and her pupils were dilated with delirium.

"The bastard disappeared." Zoe answered with a snort, as she scrubbed her face with her hand. When Stephanie caught sight of the wound on it, she quickly seized it, and began to mutter a Hymn under her breath. It was about time she got medical attention. In a snap, her fingers were no longer broken, and the burn in her hand began to close up; scabbing within minutes.

Matthew had a look of deep thought on his face, and only when Stephanie had released Zoe's hands, did he voice his opinions. "Doyle isn't exactly made of magic. He's blind, weak, and stupid. How could he possibly be behind an intricate plot to take over the world?"

Muttering broke out amongst them. He was right. How could Jessup possibly be an evil mastermind—evil, yes, but mastermind? That's a big, capital N-O.

"So, what do you suppose, Ross?" Zoe hissed, balling her hands into fists. "He just conveniently knows everything he knows? The gods like him, and tell him everything that he wants to know? BULLSHIT."

During their arguments, they didn't notice the entrance bell sound off, neither did they notice the waitresses welcome the arriving patron. It was only when two hands laid themselves upon Kyle's shoulders, and a silky, feminine voice met their ears, did they stop and look up.

The hands belonged to a woman with long, wavy black hair that hung down into her face (it concealed all, but her shimmering red lips.) and a bowler hat, with the largest brim anyone had ever seen, on her head. She was wearing on a red, silk blouse that had puffy shoulders and a plunging neckline, a black-pinstriped pencil skirt, and ruby red high heels. She looked extremely out of place, in the shabby diner.

"Afternoon, boys and girls," She greeted with an attractive southern accent, as her ruby colored nails danced along the collar of Kyle's shirt. "I just wanted to let y'all know that we do enjoy to see youngins', such as yourselves, traveling." Her lips tugged into a wide smile, as she propped her chin atop of Kyle's unkempt mane. "I suppose y'all won't be stayin' too long, hmm?"

Zoe leaned forward to tell her off, but the woman raised a dainty hand and suddenly, the daughter of Hades found herself unable to speak. Not even the smallest croak could have escaped her mouth; the way her lips clammed shut. It was as if they were glued together!

Judging by the way the others fell silent; the woman's trick worked on them too. What was she?

Despite her influence on their speech, Sky was still able to let out a few inaudible sneezes. "Well, well, little miss. Got a cold? I've got a handkerchief, if you need it." Suddenly, a soft piece of fabric appeared in the southern bell's hand, and she was offering it to the ailing redhead.

Sky didn't immediately accept it, her hesitance made the woman frown. "What d'ya think I'm going to do?" There was a pause, and then the woman laughed. "Oh, dear me—I forgot! Cat's got your tongue. You couldn't speak if ya' wanted to." All the mirth in her voice suddenly fell away, as she flicked the hankie in Sky's direction bitterly, and moved away from Kyle.

"I would be real careful, like, not to stick my nose in other persons' affairs; if I were y'all." Her voice was low and menacing, as she turned around to leave. "Demi-gods have a short life-expectancy, ya know; don'tch'all go shortening it by getting involved in grown folks business." With a flip of her wavy tresses, she was gone, and sound soon returned to everyone in the diner.

To those surrounding, (meaning, the mortals) they hadn't absolutely a clue as to what had just happened—and went on with their day to day happenings—but, the demi-gods were less fortunate. They were still reeling from the bizarre meeting with the scarlet woman.

As the juke box in the corner began bellowing out smooth jazz from the 90's; the semi-divines fought hard to restore conversation amongst them. Even though the other patrons were given their voices back, it seemed as if all of theirs were still away on holiday. It was only when Katie had tried to shout something that was completely unrelated to the strange occurrence earlier, was she finally able to speak. _"I'M HUNGRY," _being the random statement she had choked out.

Even with the booming music that swathed the charming establishment, one of the waitresses heard her, and came strolling over, "then order something already, dear. This isn't a library." She said with a motherly, yet wholly sardonic, voice.

Whatever power that woman possessed, it must have been immense. She seemingly froze time, took their voices, and amazingly, was still within her right to constrain their speech. They could talk about everything under the sun, _except_ her.

Strange couldn't even describe it… no word could. "You guys couldn't have done a better job at sending this whole quest to shit." Matthew finally said, after finding his own voice at long last. "You lost, perhaps, the only person who could explain what's going on, solely because you thought he was going to steal your Pokémon cards." His tone was sour and reproaching.

"When we were going under the assumption that he was the son of Hermes, (the god of thievery) you were fine leaving your valuables with him. So, because the guardian—_Alcinda…_" the creature's name rolled off his tongue smooth and if, it wasn't the first time he's said it. "Who probably hasn't been out, since WWII, gave you guys some vague, completely obscure information—"

Kyle's shoulders slumped, and he slid down a bit in his chair, as he listened to Matthew criticize Zoe's line of reasoning. Hearing it coming from another person, it sounded kind of, sort of—well, _stupid_.

"—by the gods, Hutton…" Matthew hissed exasperatedly, as he seized his trapped arm from under Sky's limp one, and ran his fingers through his hair. "If you were any dumber, I swear. You'd have strangled yourself with a cordless phone, by now."

Zoe launched into her own defense, but somewhere between her fierce table beating, and her harsh swears, Matthew tried to interrupt her with his own brand of aggressive noise-making. As a result—they were both warned several times by the manager to keep their voices down. They eventually settled down.

Minutes seemed to pass like hours, and Stephanie was about to suggest that they leave—try to find Jessup, or the next temple; or something!—when the waitress returned with a tray of food and a jug of iced tea.

Filling everyone's' cup (and making a mental note to bring Zoe, Kyle, and Atlanta their own glasses) the older woman scattered dishes across the table: bowls of cereal, plates of flapjacks, mountain high stacks of French-toast, eggs, bacon and sausage. For practical sake, she brought everything but the kitchen sink.

Several pairs of eyes glanced over the food hungrily and slightly confused, (no one could recall ordering anything.) "Um, ma'am—" Stephanie wagged her finger, gesturing the retreating waitress back over to the table.

"We didn't order this." Kyle said plainly, throwing an offhanded look over at the feast that was set before him.

The waitress got a look on her face, "'Course, you didn't order it," She said straightforwardly, tucking her pencil behind her ear. "Your friend did." Motioning towards the huddled figure that was at the counter, (which was situated to the far left of them) she scowled. "Now, stop pestering me. You guys aren't the only ones here."

As the older woman disappeared from sight, all the demi-gods locked eyes on the coat-clad back of their so-called friend. Who was it now? ...had the woman come back to finish them off? Or, perhaps, it's a different kind of psycho today.

The stranger's head tilted upwards, when the waitress had completely vanished from sight, and soon they were sliding off their chair. Once on their feet, they made a beeline to the table. "You guys are idiots." They said; once they were within earshot, and the shrill voice they had was unmistakable, even though the individual wasn't.

"JD," Stephanie (and a few others) breathed, trying to look passed the gaudy hat and sunglasses that the boy had donned. "What's going on—why did you leave so suddenly—is everything true?" Questions spilled out of her, like the tea out of Sky's overturned glass.

Jessup waved off the daughter of Apollo's questions, before hovering over Kyle—there were no places to sit, of course, so this was the best he could do. He took off his hat and glasses; there was no need for his disguise now—and revealed his somber expression, and the deep worry lines that were engraved in his youthful face. "There's an answer for just about every question you have… I'm just not sure just how much I'm allowed to tell you."

As if on cue, rain began to fall. It had been a bright, sunny morning just a second ago, and now it was pouring buckets outside.

Katie looked out the window. The heavy downpour obscured most of the landscape. She had to squint to make out the Sun Chariot, let alone what was going on across the street. "Whoa." She gasped, as the bullet-sized raindrops pelted the windows fiercely. Wondering if the window would crack under the torrent of water, she tore her eyes away and brought her attention back to the scene that was playing out before her.

Sky was snuffling and carrying on; but, trying her best to scarf down some food why she still could. She didn't seem to care one bit about the tension that enveloped the atmosphere around them.

Matthew was torn between giving Jessup a good stink-eye and questioning whether Sky was going to be able to eat or not. After all, the last time they gave her food, she suddenly lost her appetite and threw up on him…

Stephanie put a hand on Zoe's shoulder. She was all too aware of what the demi-goddess was capable of, if her fuse burnt out. Her confidence in her ability to hold the ravenette back faltered, when she lurched toward Jessup a bit. Luckily, Atlanta had reached across the table to assist.

"JD, you've got less than five minutes to explain _everything_, before I let Zoe after you." Stephanie warned, as her wrists began to ache with fatigue.

The blonde didn't look any part scared; he did however start to speak. "I still don't think it's neither wise nor safe for me to tell you anything." His dull, gold-bronze eyes were still and unwavering, not their usual selves, as he leaned over the table to collect the long forgotten handkerchief. He rubbed his finger along the intricate engraving that was hand-stitched into the fabric. ~_Sissy. _

"But, since you've already met her—" He waved the decorated fabric for everyone to see. "It's safe to assume the worst." Sighing, he dropped it down onto a bare part of the table, (which was hard to do, because there were plates scattered almost everywhere) and pulled over a chair.

"There's no short version of this story, so... if you have to pee; go now." Jessup's voice was low and hoarse, and his cold eyes scanned the other demi-gods menacingly. Both Katie and Atlanta jumped up and headed off to the ladies room—followed by the rest of the girls. They returned shortly, bladders empty and looking alot more presentable.

Jessup nodded when he was sure they were ready. "Oh, and please... no interrupting."

"JUST GET ON WITH IT." Zoe hissed irritably, leaning against the window. Obviously, the seating arrangement had changed.

Jessup shot Zoe the same look, before starting. "I don't know where to begin, but—here goes... Long before the restriction, before WWII; back in the time of Heracles, Lord Zeus had had another one of his famous affairs. His mistress was a beautiful princess, Illythia, who had tempted him for ages. When she discovered she was with-child, Zeus' child, she fled her kingdom—afraid of what Hera would have done to her, if she found out.

"It goes without saying that the kingdom was soon destroyed, completely flattened, because Hera _did_ find out. But, luckily, Illythia had been long gone. The young princess hid herself well, and eventually, when it seemed as though Hera was sufficiently distracted from Zeus' infidelity, Illythia boarded with the elderly wife of a fisherman; who took care of her throughout the remaining duration of her pregnancy.

"Life seemed peaceful, and for once, Illythia felt safe. No longer under the watchful eyes of her keepers, her parents—lustful Lord Zeus, but then... the peace went away, when Illythia went into labor. Whatever happened, whether it was Illythia's screams of agony—maybe it was the very birthing process, itself? But, whatever it was, it seemed to stir the gods from their usual activities. They all came down to witness the birth.

"In front of the gods, (disgusting, I know) Illythia brought a baby girl into the world with the last of her strength." Jessup hiccupped, as a look of sorrow etched into his face. "Illythia was beautiful, even in death... But, she was nothing compared to her daughter, who had a kind of celestial beauty... with chestnut hair and electric blue eyes; she was unmistakably the spawn of Zeus. Of course, Hera was enraged by this, but couldn't act upon her feelings, because Zeus wanted this child. For whatever reason, he wanted to take the baby with him.

"Brought to Olympus, the baby Nexus was cared for, and taught many a things, and when she grew to womanhood, she was, like her mother, nothing short of enchanting." Jessup twiddled his fingers, before sniffling. "To keep out all extravagant details to get my point across; Nexus grew a bit big for her britches. She had been overcome with a superiority complex like no other, and demanded that she become one of the Olympians. Of course, her offer was refused—the last god to join the Olympians was Dionysus; and that was only because Hestia gave up her own spot— and she was enraged by this.

"Nexus decided that since she could not become an Olympian, she would rid all plains of existence of them—even if it meant overthrowing her own father; Zeus. She couldn't do it on her own though, her powers weren't enough, so she recruited the aid of others. Those same gods that didn't have cabins at Camp Half-blood until the young hero, Perseus, had made the Olympians swear to include them; had made an oath to Nexus that they would join her in battle.

"Pity is, that she gave herself to most of those amongst her ranks, and soon after, laid with Apollo—who had known about her plotting, and disguised himself as one of her mortal lovers. Apollo accosted her, and took her to be judged. Hera wanted the most severe punishment possibly—death—but, since Nexus was a god, as well, and had been granted immortality, that would not be the case. Seeing as there was no other option, Zeus decided that Nexus would be sent to Tartarus—and to make sure she couldn't try any funny stuff, she would be sent there in pieces."

Jessup paused, as the rain outside grew fiercer, more tempestuous than he'd ever seen it before. Lightning flashed dangerously across the cloudy sky, and the sound of thunder shook the diner. He was crossing so many lines, breaking so many rules...

Katie gripped Stephanie's hand, as she watched the window shudder under the intense torrential downpour. "Don't finish the story, JD. That's enough, we get it." She breathed, as a particular flash of lightning sounded too close for comfort.

Zoe was unfazed by the brutal weather outside and leaned on her elbows. "No—continue..." She hissed, her dark eyes burning.

Jessup steeled his nerves, before nodding. "With a blade forged in the flames of Olympus, Nexus was mutilated. Beheaded, first—swift and clean—and then her limbs cut off, one by one. Her torso was the bit they had the most trouble with, as they weren't sure if they should cut it up anymore, or leave it in one piece. Ultimately, they had decided that the smaller the pieces of Nexus were, the better, I suppose. Once they had finished, they had kept true to their word, and sent her pieces off to the dark depths of Tartarus to be looked after by Nyx and her lot.

"For a while, nothing happened, everything was able to return to normal. Apollo had managed to persuade Zeus not to punish those who had agreed to aid Nexus in his destruction." Reaching over Sky's overturned glass, Jessup plucked an untouched cup from the table and downed its contents in one gulp. "Now, I'm not too sure of the details that follow the next occurrence, so bear with me—the pieces of Nexus began undergoing a change... From her spine came Akakía; from an arm came my brother Basilio; from her face came my sister Nárkissa, and so on..."

Kyle's dark eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. "What do you come from?" He asked.

Jessup jumped as lightning struck across the sky, once again. A bewildered expression crossing his face—it was as if he wasn't expecting to be asked that. "Uh, well... I'm Nexus' heart—or what was left of it—I'm Aléxandros."

Atlanta choked on her tea. The voice that came out of _Jessup's _mouth did not sync up with the visage of her young friend. Opening her mouth to speak, the redhead asked, "Where's the real Jessup, then?"

The blonde furrowed his brows. "Well, I was getting to that part in the story. So, if you guys are finished interrupting me, I can get there."

Aside from the rain beating against the window, the air surrounding them was silent. Matthew nodded for Jessup (Aléxandros—Alex—whatever one would prefer) to continue.

"Okay, where was I? Oh, yes..." A serious look crossed the blonde's face. "We all rose—an uncountable amount of divinities. You would think that would have worried the gods—Zeus, especially—but, they had other matters to attend to. By time my brothers and my sisters and I were capable enough to handle such a simple thing as thinking for ourselves, WWI had commenced.

"And during that time, we were free to roam—do whatever we pleased—as long as we stayed in Tartarus. Though, it wasn't like we could have just got up and left. Soon, we had grown to full height and strength, and suddenly, we were hit with... a plague of some sorts.

"—an unquenchable thirst and hunger, a bloodlust like no other, and a will to join together—to be whole, once again." There was a rueful, almost glassy, look in his eyes, as he sank down in his chair. Shame radiated off of him in waves. "We began to feast upon each other. It became so bad, that almost every day; our numbers dropped double digits.

"We couldn't help it, if we tried, though. For a while, I used to mutilate any patch of skin on my own body that I could reach with my teeth; to keep from attacking my closest sister, (Kadís) as if she was a prized piece of steak.

"Sadly, even I could not fight the desire to sink my teeth into my own siblings, and I had taken just as many lives as the rest. WWII was fast approaching, by the time there were only seventeen of us left. I and Nárkissa were the ones who had driven the death toll so high; and because of that, we became enemies—constantly looking over our shoulder, waiting for the other to attack.

"She eventually did attack me, took a substantial portion of the flesh off the column of my spine... and she would have killed me, absorbed me like we had done the rest, if not for the intervention of the gods... I wasn't afraid to die, I never have been. But, I was so thankful that they had finally answered all of our prayers.

"It was evident by how we killed each other; that we could all be slain as singular entities; and yet, Zeus had forbid anyone from doing so. We were instead split apart. Scattered to the corners of the earth, and put to rest in our own, special, sanctuaries. For the first time, most of us had finally gotten to sleep.

"I had slept for decades—well until the end of the war that you all had witnessed just so few ago—before I was visited by Morpheus; he warned me of my impeding demise, and had awaken me..." The blonde paused, looking over to Atlanta with an unyielding expression. "And I soon met young Jessup Doyle."

Sky sneezed, covering her mouth with the crook of her elbow. "Okay, so you met him—where's he now? Why are you here, as him?"

"That's a good question... You see, Nárkissa was the threat that Morpheus had mentioned. She had awakened around the time that Luke had stolen the lightning bolt. Back then, she was weak, no threat to anyone but herself—but, she was still harboring great power within her. No one noticed her, so she managed to skim on by, right under the noses of the gods, and was able to track us all down, to continue the feast that Zeus had interrupted so long ago.

"She found me stomping around the tri-state area, and again, attacked—but, just like before, she didn't kill me. In fact, I had taken the upper hand, and gave a nice, little scar to remember me by. Eh, it probably made her angrier, but, she's going to try and kill me regardless, so what the heck, why not?

"I had escaped with virtually no harm to myself, and later I ran across your friend. I believe he was traveling back home, from camp, to visit his mother. Jessup is such a nice guy, you know, I see why you all are friends with him." A weak smile crossed his face when a few of the demi-gods scoffed.

"I was never his friend, asshole." Zoe grimaced, putting her elbows on the table.

Matthew shared that sentiment, but unlike Zoe, did not voice it in the presence of those who held the blind son of Hermes dear to themselves. Sky could tell, though, Matthew's passivity wasn't going to fool her. She had been reading people for years, what makes him think he could pull one over on her?

"Well, anyways, I told him of my plight—how weak I was after the fight with Nárkissa—and he, amazingly, offered me his life. His energy, his memories—a part of your friend is inside of me." He laid a hand on his chest for effect. "Though, trust me, he's not dead. I didn't take his life-force and dump him; he's in my original resting place, waiting for my return. The gods swore to look after him, until I gave him his life back."

Katie opened her mouth to add to the questioning, but her lips snapped shut. Two dark brown eyebrows furrowed, as she fought hard to bring up the subject that had been nagging at her. "Jessup—(If it's fine with you, Aléxandros; I'm going to call you _Alex, _from now on)—while we were waiting for you we were—_nnngggh." _Suddenly, her tongue was tied.

Alex raised his eyebrows, before giving her an understanding look. "Uh-huh, as I expected, you guys met Nárkissa. She's not exactly keen on the idea that I have a bunch of demi-gods assisting me in killing her."

"What do you mean; we're going to help you kill her?" Atlanta asked, incredulously.

The blonde's eyes glittered. "Why else did you think I brought you all along? I know I'm going to hesitate—I know I won't be able to kill Nárkissa; solely because she's my sister, and because you guys aren't in anyway familiar with her, (and also because I believe you're amongst the most experienced in your areas of expertise) I picked you all."

Several swears, several sounds of shock and protest, several hands beating on the table, and several threats to leave caused Alex to laugh. "—Wow, does it help that I've gotten permission from each of your godly parents to drag you all out with me, on my quest."

Instead of quieting the demi-gods down, this statement riled them up. "What the _hell_ do you mean; you got permission from our parents!" Zoe growled. Like the other semi-divines, she had hardly ever met her father—but, would he really hand her over like that?

Atlanta couldn't be shocked; she just couldn't. Artemis, after all, wasn't the world's greatest mother—she didn't even pretend that she was—and has pawned her off to plenty of people for quests. Why should she get all chaffed about it, now?

Alex went on to smooth things out with the others, reassuring them that **one**: He could not harm them if he tried—after all, he was Nexus' heart, the one piece of her that was incapable of inflicting harm upon others. (Kyle argued, "Well, you killed the other pieces of Nexus." To which, Alex responded, "My name means defending _men_, if you had seen them, you would have known they were nothing like man.")

And that **two: **if he did try to attack them, he would be taking his sorry ass home in a body bag; because he seriously was being looked after by the gods—they were actually watching his every move.

"Now, are we going to sit here and waste time, or are we going to head to Demeter's sanctuary?" Alex smiled, but the joy did not reach his eyes.

No one answered him, instead Stephanie, Matthew, Zoe, Kyle and Atlanta climbed out of their seats. "Oh, so we're going to do that 'not trusting me' thing, huh?" Alex asked sheepishly, over the fingernail that he was now trying so desperately to tear off with his thumb.

Zoe spat on the ground beside him, before turning her head up. "I never trusted you, you dumb, traitor bitch."

Sky sniffed, scratching her nose with the sleeve of her sweater, before sneezing. "Zoe—he's not a traitor. In fact, he hasn't done anything for over sixty years. Alex—you deserve everything to get, because you're a no good liar." Letting out a whooping cough, the demi-goddess slumped in her chair. "Ugh… It's too cold in here!"

Stephanie frowned, "That's your flu talking." Throwing her head towards the thermostat, she said. "It's over 80 degrees in here."

"I'm a _liar_?" Alex gaped, throwing a hurt look between the seated and standing demi-gods. Pouting when no one offered him an apology, he folded his arms over the surface of the cool, smooth table. "Oh, COME ON, you guys; that's not fair. You guys just never asked."

"How would we even know to ask you something like that?" Katie argued, leaning forward on her elbows. "I mean, I would have never guessed you were a woman!"

Alex scowled, when the mortal patrons looked over, completely confused by the bizarre conversation they were having. Blushing when a trucker laughed at him, the blonde sunk down in his chair. "I'm not a woman, Katie. I am Aléxan_dros_; hear masculine that name sounds?"

Zoe scoffed. "Could've fooled me—"

Matthew let out a forced laugh that sounded alot like a cough, before flicking his hair out of his eyes.

Sky shot him a withering glare. "Both of you are incredibly rude, you know that?" She sniffled.

Atlanta collected a handful of napkins from the forgotten holder, and handed them to Sky. "You're going to get your sleeves all crusty, if you keep wiping your nose on them." The redhead seemed to have extracted herself from tension that still swirled around.

Alex sat up ram-rod straight, suddenly feeling as though he had to prove himself to the others. "Hey, come on—I look like Jessup, I (somewhat) act like Jessup, I have his memories and whatnot... Why is it that, because you learned something new, you want to act all hostile. What happened to the demi-gods I knew before? …the ones who were cool."

Though, they knew the true identity of this creature, he did act A LOT like Jessup did. He fussed like him, he got touchy like he was, he was accident prone—and those were just the things on the short list.

"Well, aren't we wasting time." Stephanie murmured, glancing down at her watch—the hour-hand pointed to noon. "I think we can save this shock and awe for later, when Alex's crazy sister is dead... you know?" Reaching into her hand into her pocket for a tip, she looked at everyone as if they had grown another head. "Well, get up! We've got to get going."

Zoe opened her mouth to argue, but shook her head. "Okay, if Anderson's gonna take the lead, I can't really give a damn anymore."

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: Demeter's Trial.<strong>


	7. Challenge 4: Demeter Part One

**A\N: These chapters keep getting longer and longer. This one, unedited, is 13,777 words long. So, unfortunately; I have to split them up into parts. Ugh, from now on, I need to impose a word limit. Anyways, I don't see what else to write here, aside from the usual thanks, and to say that ALL of your lovely OCs are in the chapter… Hmm—oh, right! Did you guys know that it rains every time I write a chapter of this? Not to sound superstitious, but, that can't be a good sign. **

**Signing out… Enjoy!**

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><p>They sat in the diner for a little while longer, waiting for the heavy rain outside to lessen. It did not. In fact, it showed no sign of stopping—<em>ever<em>—when it started to pour even harder than most people could ever imagine. The rain drops were large, like 50-cal bullet_ large _and just as fierce as them too—as the droplets exploded into much smaller, even more ruthless, splashes and thrummed against the window, causing it to tremble and groan.

The downpour took on a bit of a rhythm; and the longer it went on, the more it took on the properties of an orchestra. Eerie and bone-chilling as it was, to be just a roof away from some of the worst rain _ever_; the sound was simply breathtaking. Especially, when the wind picked up; it was howling like a chorus of wolves looking for one another, and even though it was coming from the other side of the glass; it caught _every _person's attention.

Even the mortals were not blind to the waiflike symphony that was swirling around them. Soon they were completely distracted by it. One of them, who had asked for a splash of milk in their coffee, was currently getting it all down their front; as the waitress gaped at the weather with the most shocked expression someone of the human persuasion could muster.

Alex pulled a face at the startled looks on everyone's faces. He knew full well that he was to blame for the curious weather, and that it was about time to take Zeus' overhead raincloud elsewhere. "We'd best get out of here…" He whispered, dropping a fifty dollar tip on the table, before ducking low and heading for the door.

Without another word, the semi-divines fled from Sissy's diner right behind the blonde; who was booking it like he stole something, and were soon out in the violent cascade of salty water.

The rain felt as excruciating on the skin as it looked. Like a combination of being pelted by golf balls and stung by a swarm of angry bees; and the droplets left angry, red welts in its wake. Even the most stoned faced, well-traveled, I-spit-in-the-face-of-danger, kind of warriors would hiss at the pain inspired, as the water thrashed their bare skin. Retracting the earlier statement—instead of golf balls; it felt like being hit by tiny, iron cannon balls!

While racing blindly across the parking lot; they all felt as though they were carrying alot more weight than necessary. It would have been stupid to discard their bags; so instead, shoes were kicked off and left trailing behind them, as they dashed to the Sun Chariot.

Not at all lifted of her weight burden, Stephanie coughed out a lung full of rainwater, and stripped off her jacket. It clung to her, not wanting to be removed, but she eventually pulled it off and shoved it into Atlanta's bag—since, her own backpack was in the car.

Matthew and Sky followed suit, shrugging off their overcoats to gain more speed. The former's jacket hit the ground with a muted, wet _thud_, but no one heard it; because, the rain around them was much too loud; while Sky held hers' over her head to keep the water out of her eyes.

It seemed like they had been running forever, (their legs were fatiguing, and their bruised skin blistering further under the downpour) when they had finally reached the Maserati. Filled with relief, they all began piling into the sleek, vermillion sports car.

Once inside, they all took a moment to evaluate their current states of dress. More than half of them were in their socks; while Kyle had on one sneaker and Atlanta was barefoot. (Zoe was without shoes—or socks—as well, but she hadn't had any on, in the first place, since she lost them at the Golden Horizon.) Strangely enough—Alex had both of his shoes on; despite them being filled with a pint of rain, each.

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><p>All of their clothes were so heavy with water, that some of them were threatening to burst at the seams. Atlanta dreaded the possibility of her favorite shirt being ruined, so before they got to business locating Demeter's temple; they headed to a local clothing store for some dry clothes, and then to a Laundromat to drop off their wet ones. <em>"We'll come back for them, don't worry. <em>"Stephanie reassured both Katie and Atlanta when they were heading back to the car.

Matthew and Alex, meanwhile, had long since came to a standstill at the celestial vehicle. The blonde was arguing that he should now be allowed to drive; because he is neither inexperienced with the Sun Chariot nor blind, "it was all a sham, you guys! I've seen every pole, I almost walked into—every scowl Zoe's had on her face—every freckle and imperfection on your skin."

The son of Apollo's eyebrows knitted together, as he brushed his wet hair out of his eyes. He half wanted to know how was it that Alex knew how to operate his father's chariot—but, then quickly thought against asking, because his will to listen to the blonde's whiny voice any longer had bottomed out—and he half wanted to know just how long Alex had been pretending to be blind.

"Ever since I arrived at camp as him…" Alex said matter-of-factly, as the others bounced on their sore feet, waiting to get in the car. ("For cryin' out loud..! How long are you guys going to take?" Katie complained, wringing her hair out for the seventh time.)

The blonde rolled his eyes at the others' complaints, before leaning on the driver's door. "Doyle was blind wasn't he? And I _was _incognito, (until some people asked that reveal who I was, or they would keep stamping on my toes) wasn't I? So, because of that, I had to embody the very thing that made Jessup, well, _Jessup_. I had to fake being blind, so you guys wouldn't discover me."

"You didn't do a pretty good job at staying disguised." Zoe snorted, pulling her newly-acquired black cardigan over her thin, sheer blouse.

Kyle, who was crouched at the passenger's door, pouring water out of his backpack, chuckled lightly in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever, it's your friggin' fault, Zoe." Alex pouted childishly.

Atlanta scooped Alex's hefty rucksack off the ground with strained effort—it seemed to be atleast twenty times heavier, after having gotten wet—and tossed it in the trunk. The car bounced at the sudden weight, and both Stephanie and Matthew hastily put their hands on it to make sure it wouldn't roll downhill.

"Matt, just let him drive." The daughter of Artemis pleaded to her younger cousin, as she accepted Kyle's waterlogged back, tossed it in the boot as well, and then closed it with a swift downward tug.

Matthew scowled as he tossed a questing glance to his half-sister. Stephanie nodded sullenly, before saying, "We both got to drive it… let him have a go. Who knows what trouble he went through to get it?"

Backing away hesitantly, he allowed Alex to take the wheel.

At first, the others were nervous about letting the blonde drive; after all, the last time they as a whole group got into the car—Atlanta had almost killed them—but, once he got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing... as if Apollo himself was steering it.

Sky's flu seemed to have declined a significant amount, as she was no longer feverish, nauseous, or dizzy. In fact, you wouldn't have known she was sick, unless you spotted her nose—which was red and swollen from being ferociously wiped clean. Her voice was nasally and breathless, but, somehow, managed to maintain its usually girlish trill. "So, where's the next sanctuary?" she asked plainly, leaning forward on her elbows—which were perched on hers' and Kyle's knees.

Alex shrugged, before slouching in his seat. His right-hand had a lazy grip on the wheel, while his left one was carding through messy, blonde tresses that did not belong to him. "'ave no idea… mind s'all clogged up…" he drawled, sinking further in his chair.

It was as if he had been lulled into a state of immense intoxication, just by sitting in the driver's seat. Stephanie, who had been monitoring him through the rearview mirror, felt her eyes widen to twice their size, as Alex's head lulled to side—his eyes racing to the back of their cavern and his dark eyelids fluttering shut—and his hand jerking the wheel violently to the right.

Everyone let out their own sound of surprise, as they were shuddered around roughly. Both Sky and Atlanta groaned aloud, as they reeled back to their original spots with a hands clutching blindly at their now-throbbing foreheads. They, unfortunately, had the misfortune of putting their heads together, and were now paying dearly for it; as their rattled brains recovered from the impact.

Katie took a bite out of her bottom lip, but, didn't get the chance to nurse it—because, the car was jerking to the left—then, to the right again! The Sun Chariot seemed to be picking up speed, (if that was even possible!) as it trembled and swayed sporadically. If they were riding in a regular car, the demi-gods would have been worried that their vehicle might explode.

"What the shit is going on?" Zoe gasped, clutching onto the scruff of Kyle's neck a little harder than she meant to, as she tried hard not to be thrown around like a ragdoll.

"Alex! Alex, wake up!" Stephanie screamed over the next chorus of yelps, as the Sun Chariot did a nosedive straight towards the ground! Her stomach flipped and churned at the immense speed, and she was sure that, if she saw herself in the mirror at that moment, the smooth skin on her face would be flapping around like in a cartoon.

Glued to their chairs by the extreme gravitational force, the demi-gods felt their heads fill with air and their feet with blood. It was everything Atlanta could do to unstick herself from her chair to reach out for the wheel.

Just as her trembling hand had brushed the leather steering mechanism, Alex—who had been foaming at the mouth and muttering in his native tongue, as if in a heated conversation—gave a violent shudder; which sent the car whizzing sharply to the right again, before tensing up completely.

It happened so fast, what transpired next—a blindingly bright light was filling the car; leaving no corner or crevice unlit. The intense illumination caused Atlanta to recoil away with her hands on her eyes, shrieking in pain.

The redhead fell back into a slew of awaiting arms, as she swore and gasped at the agony. Blood was trailing down her cheeks like ghastly twin rivers; staining her hands and her shirt—but, since, her blouse was black; the crimson liquid wasn't exactly too visible.

While, he too was reeling from the abruptness of the situation, Matthew didn't have time to cater to his cousin; he was lunging forward to catch the wheel that Alex was no longer behind.

Swearing aloud as he looked out of through the windshield and saw that they were headed straight for a building, the brunette gripped the wheel tightly in his hands until his knuckles turned white, and began the hard battle of piloting them out of the way of danger.

It took a lot of power-steering and energy; but with the help of Stephanie, he was able to get their predicament under control—meanwhile, Zoe and Sky were trying their hardest to pry Atlanta's hands away from her eyes, so that they could assess the damage.

"KYLE, _DO SOMETHING_!" The daughter of Hades screeched, as she tugged on Atlanta's wrist.

Upon Zoe's request, Kyle had grabbed the daughter of Artemis by her wrist, and pulled them away from her face. What her hands revealed was nothing short of shocking.

"Oh, gods…" Sky breathed, completely awestruck as she stared at Atlanta. Crimson fluid was streaking down her cheeks—that was the part she was expecting—it was the state of her eyes that had the younger redhead flinching with unabashed horror: two completely gruesome, depthless pits, completely the void of eyeballs, was all that was left.

Katie turned her head away sharply, as she felt her own eyes sting with tears. "Atlanta…"She wanted to ask her if she was okay, but, decided against it; knowing that the demi-goddess was probably in the worst pain in her life.

Worse than getting her shoulder dislocated for the first time, worse than when she was attacked by hellhounds—and, if it was possible—it was more agonizing than the injuries she had sustained from a dragon.

After all, having your eyes literally scorched out of your head is quite possibly the only thing that can't be topped on the pain chart.

Atlanta brought her hands back to her face, and curled in on herself, as she went into shock. Stephanie, who had just retreating from the wheel when she was sure Matthew had it under control, pulled her older cousin to her body and began demanding that Matthew find somewhere for them to land—park—whatever, they just needed to get back to the ground. _Now!_

* * *

><p>An abandoned cornfield was what Matthew found, and in no time, the demi-gods were crawling out of the car—trembling and carrying on—with Atlanta in tow.<p>

Both Katie and Kyle's forearms were trembling with fatigue and anxiety, as they laid the archer out on the damp soil. The latter trying his hardest to conceal his emotions, as dread more potent than Dionysus' finest hallucinogens flooded his system, pumping adrenaline into his veins and making his head spin. While the former looked on the verge of tears, as she stared down at Atlanta.

The daughter of Artemis—as secretive as she was—had more friends than most people could count between both their hands, and it goes without saying that Katie Knapp; daughter of Nike, champion goofball and overzealous victor of_ everything_ she tried, was one of them.

"Is she going to be okay?" Sky croaked, peering over Zoe's shoulder to get a better look at the writhing markswoman.

Zoe resisted the urge to cut her tongue at the tall demi-goddess that was lurking behind her. "She's not dying, if that's what you're asking." She grumbled, folding her arms across her chest as she watched Stephanie kneeled at Atlanta's side; beginning to murmur a hymn to her father.

The brunette stumbled on her words a few times, as she tried her best to focus—what with Atlanta quavering and clawing at her eyelids begging for the pain to subside—and if not for Matthew dropping down onto his knees to assist her, she probably would have let her train of thought be derailed.

Truth be told, Matthew's singing was better than Zoe usually gave him credit for and when his and Stephanie's striking tones intermingled and reverberated throughout the field; everyone within the area could feel it.

Having been subjected to their medicinal melodies; the other demi-gods were not too surprised when their bones seemed to _vibrate _and their skin seemed to tighten. As their voices rung out over the lofty cornstalks, Atlanta's cries slowly quieted down.

Curled in on herself, as the brutal waves of agony subsided, leaving a cumbersome sense of vertigo and a sort of out-of-body feeling behind, the daughter of Artemis breathed heavily—and yet, somehow, evenly—through her nose.

All she could see were the sights of her mind's eye—pitch darkness. Panic settled into the pit of her very being as she thought about the possibility of being permanently sightless. Blood pounded in her ears, blocking out the soothing crooning of the children of Apollo.

Would she…gods, she couldn't even think about it—her mind seized up whenever she tried to; as if some outside force was reaching into her skull and squeezing her brain. All Atlanta could do was dance around the idea—never fully delving into the possibility of being eyeless for the rest of her life.

'Παιδί, Ηρεμήστε," (_**Child, calm yourself…) **_A feminine voice sliced through her thoughts. It was pacifying unlike anything Atlanta had ever heard before. And yet, it was extremely familiar—as no one person (goddess, or otherwise) possessed the maternal voice of Artemis. Or atleast, no individuals' voice could affect Atlanta has strongly as her mother's did.

No matter how utterly screwed up their relationship was—no matter how resentful either of them was towards one other, for the lack of time they had spent together over the years, (and for the lack of energy they expended trying to rebuild the delicate card castle they called a mother-daughter relationship)—when the goddess of the hunt allowed herself to drop her guard, and let her maternal worry take over; she really did behave like the world's biggest mother hen, at times.

To Atlanta; Artemis' voice was like a strong concoction of the comfort that came from being wrapped in a warmed blanket, and pulled into a tight embrace after a long day of playing in the snow—and the warmth and appreciation from being spoon-fed chicken noodle soup, whilst extremely sick.

Lulled (unwillingly) into a state of comfort, as the goddess began to assure her that her eyeballs would be put back in her head in no time at all—not in those words, mind you—Atlanta answered back to the huntress with the most heated mental voice she could manage. _'Does this mean that I suddenly owe you my life? __**What do you want from me! **__Because, if you think __this__ is going to make me join you—you're mistaken. If you think this will make me forgive you—' _

_(__**I do not seek your forgiveness, child.**__)_Was Artemis' reply—her voice no longer warm. Instead, it was unsympathetic and frigid; and her words like sharp icicles, sinking slow and painful into Atlanta's chest. Did the goddess even know the affect her words had on Atlanta? Could she tell how her daughter's heart bled, whenever she put her down the way she did. _(__**Your uncle, however, pursues your clemency for the injury he has inflicted upon you—I told him he's wasting his time.**__)_

'_It's amazing how only he cares about how I feel.' _As Atlanta went back and forth with Artemis, her traveling companions hovered over her, waiting for a sign that everything was alright.

Matthew, who had literally sung himself hoarse, sulked around the boot of the Sun Chariot; head bowed, hands balled into a fist. _Damn it! _He roared mentally, as he blindly threw a punch at the vehicle. As soon as his knuckles scrapped against the cherry-red paint, he gasped in pain. Blind rage totally did _not _beat a car's sturdy metal frame.

Cradling his knuckles as the bruised skin there began to bleed; the son of Apollo gritted his teeth. He couldn't help but compare this situation to that of the empousa attack all those years ago. The memory quickly surfaced—his mother begging for mercy; (begging for his sister's life, instead of her own) how the empousa laughed her—drank in her cries, as it descending upon her… how it spilled her blood on the floor without a care in the world…

Perhaps, the worst part about the attack was the look on his sister's face, before the creature attacked her. She had never looked more afraid. Her teary eyes alone conveyed such a powerful message, _'MATT! PLEASE, DO SOMETHING! STOP HER...!'_

It still haunts him to this day that he didn't save her. That he didn't save his mother. Instead, he froze under that intoxicated look in the empousa's eyes, as it descended upon him and scraped her fingers along his face, "Don't be afraid, babe…" it cooed, before digging her talon-like nails into his skin…

The scar on his face gave a dull throb whenever he tried to smile—which is why he was almost always grimacing—as if it was a reminder of his moment of weakness… the moment that cost him everything.

If it were possible, the brunette's hands tensed into a tighter fist. He just wanted to rip something apart with his bare hands. He wanted to lash out—he couldn't take this guilt that was settling over him like a suffocating layer of dust.

Trembling with rage, as he heard Stephanie _finally _stop singing, Matthew threw himself back against the car, and sank to the ground. Concealed by the car, he began to scrub his face aggressively. Did the gods have it out for him—was he being punished? How many times was he going to lose?

Lost in his thoughts for only a moment, Matthew heard the soft sounds of soil crunching underneath a pair of feet. The footfall was almost inaudible—feather light and familiar. No doubt they belonged to the daughter of the South Winds.

"Matt…" Sky breathed, her voice tickling his ears as it traveled along the dry, cool breeze. Her turquoise eyes glittered with worry in the scant light of the cloud-shielded sun. "Atlanta's going to be alright…she's mumbling now." Making her way around to the boot, so that she could get a good look at Matthew, she smiled softly. "You two did everything you could—and that was more than good enough."

Matthew resisted the urge to punch the ground—his knuckles were still throbbing painfully as a reminder that that wasn't the best idea. "It shouldn't have happened—none of this should have happened."

Sky shook her head, before sweeping her uneven fringe out of her eyes without even moving her hands. Even with the haircut that Acanthus started, and Katie finished, her hair was still much too unruly—but, in a cool; _bohemian surfer-chick_ sort of way. "We didn't know that Alex was going to freakin' disappear! Don't beat yourself up, Matt."

He lost it, when she said that. "I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET HIM DRIVE, IN THE FIRST PLACE, SKY—!" Matthew was on his feet, advancing on the demi-goddess with a fire burning in his eyes. "For as much as he's told us, he's still gods damned a mystery—every time something goes to plan, something goes to absolute shit! Do you think that's dumb luck? Huh, Sky? You're so, so—"

"_So_—what? What I am, Matthew? Because, I don't see how shouting at me is going to change what happened… S'not going to change what is _happening_." The redhead retorted, as she stepped to the demi-god when he closed in on her.

They were in each other's face, battling with sharp tongues and heated glances. Neither of them was going to let the other convince them that they were wrong. So, Sky could continue telling him to calm his ass down, and wait until Alex returned—because he would, he had to! And Matthew could continue telling her _this_ and _that _about Alex.

The rest of the demi-gods, by now, had mostly taken their attention off of Atlanta—who seemed well enough; aside from all the scowling and murmuring in her daze—so that they could watch the two go at it.

Sky usually wasn't one to row with others, (and usually, others didn't fight with her) everyone knew that. That was probably the first thing anyone learned about Sky. But, with Matthew shouting down at her as if she was a wicked child, (and she shouting right back at him; matching his volume and swears) those who hadn't known her would have never guessed.

All this time, she had been nothing but nice to him, and yet he dared to speak to her the way he did. Lyssa must have taken him out of his right mind, if he thought he was going to get away with it.

"Guys, stop it. You're both acting stupid!" Stephanie said scowling, as she watched Sky shove her half-brother. Motioning for Katie to look after Atlanta, the fair-haired girl climbed to her feet. "C'mon, we don't need this, stop!" Reaching them, she caught the tall redhead by her elbow and pulled her back.

Zoe had reemerged from the tall cornstalks—when did she leave?—adjusting her jeans and refastening her belt. Her thin, obsidian eyebrows knitted together with agitation as she took in the scene. "Okay, you guys—just freakin' _STOP. IT!_ Just stop it." Shaking her head fiercely, she tucked her camisole back into her pants. "This catfight crap is annoying! Matthew, if you would just please: _Find. Your. Damned. Balls._"

Assuming that Matthew would try to strike out at the ravenette, Kyle manipulated the shadows that were cast by the tall vegetation surrounding them, and seized the son of Apollo by his ankles. He shook his head at the seething brunette. _Not now, not ever_—he wasn't going to let Matthew put his hands on Zoe.

Katie's almond gaze was locked on the situation before her, as it went from bad to worse. Stephanie was commanding Kyle to let her half-brother go, meanwhile both Sky and Zoe were glaring at him, daring him to do it—and as completely different as their eyes were; different color, shape, and size, they shone with the same glint of absolute animosity.

It seemed like they were seconds from ripping each other's heads off. "Stop it. Just—STOP IT!" The daughter of Nike cried, shoving her jacket under Atlanta's head, before she jumped to her feet to meet eye-to-eye with her fellow questers. "This is solving nothing—absolutely NOTHING—but, you guys seemed to be too stupid to realize that! Alex is gone; he just freakin' vanished, and Atlanta his wounded, and yet… you guys want to rip out each other's throats!"

An uneasy silence fell over the others, as Katie began scolding them like they were bad children. "All this fighting amongst ourselves—this impulsiveness, this want to be in-charge, all this bickering…it's exactly why we demi-gods are treated the way we are!" Pointing accusingly at no one in particular, the brunette squared her shoulders. "So, what—Alex might not be entirely trustworthy, no one seemed to have a problem with that before we knew he wasn't Jessup; which is an absolutely daft line of reasoning!"

"Besides, it was so obvious that he wasn't lying about Nár—" She stalled, trying hard to say the woman's name. "—_kissa_…" A tremor raced up her spine, afterwards, but she ignored it. "Have you ever seen it rain that hard, when something's _not _up? I think not. I think Alex was telling us the truth, and has never once lied to us—_passed the point that he told us he was JD._" She quickly added.

"So, whenever you guys are ready to start acting like the heroes this quest is _supposed _to be fashioning us into—I would like to remind you that there's a bloodthirsty godling, who (when—not if—she figures out we know who, _and what_, she is) is going to come bounding back here to rip us to freakin' _pieces_;_ IF_, she even wants to kill us! Who's to say that we won't be watching WWIII from Tartarus?"

Her face was red with fury, as she continued. Once or twice, someone tried to interrupt her—but, of course, they should have known better than to try. Katie pointed at them menacingly before shouting, "I sure as heck don't want to be responsible for another World War; because some people were PMSing all over the place!" The last portion of her statement was emphasized with a heated glance at Matthew and Zoe.

"Okay, that's enough, Kat… we get it." Stephanie sighed, agitatedly brushing her hair behind her ear.

The daughter of Nike shook her head fiercely, and just overhead, those almost midnight-colored rainclouds from earlier began rolling in. "NO! You don't get it! NONE OF YOU GET IT! At all cost, we have to kill Nárkissa—we are bound to our obligation!" Katie's arms flailed dramatically to get her point across. "If we keep stepping on Aléxandros' toes—if we don't let him help us, as we have to help him—we might as well be telling the fates that we're weak, and that we'd like to handover Olympus and _**die**__!_"

For added effect, rain began to fall freely from the sky. Nothing as melodramatic and blusterous as earlier; but, they all seemed to have gotten the message, anyways.

As they were peppered by the cool droplets, the thick veil of wrath had been lifted off their heads. Postures that were tense and hostile slackened considerably; expressions that were twisted with rage softened until they took on more nonplussed qualities.

The cornstalks shivered blithely, as a humid squall passed them and stirred the demi-gods hair. "Katie's right." Sky sighed, as she pushed the wind more towards the field. Even though she thought she was doing the corn some good by shaking it and spreading it's pollen around; little did she know she was slowly killing the plant with the hot air she controlled so effortlessly. "We have a quest—do we not? We should be taking this a lot more serious."

"Yes, we should be." Kyle agreed quietly, as he released Matthew from the shadow's hold. Flashing the taller demi-god a pair of (somewhat) apologetic, midnight-colored eyes, the son of Nyx backed away and caught Zoe by the hand. When she didn't struggle to release herself from his grasp, he pulled her just out of sight.

Stephanie watched the two of them disappear from sight, before she looked at Sky and Matthew with expectant emerald eyes. "Well—don't you think you should say something to each other?" She crossed her arms when her half-brother scowled.

Katie threw her arms up in defeat. "Ugh, forget it! I'll be in the car."

The daughter of Apollo frowned. "Well, go on—apologize to each other."

Matthew snorted, as if to say _'Yeah right', _before folding his sinewy arms across his chest. Shaking his head defiantly, when Stephanie continued to regard him with her matching eyes, the brunette grunted and tried to move the focus off himself. "If we're going to get all considerate and determined to complete this freakin' quest—where _is _Aléxandros and why in Hades' name did he disappear?"

That effectively changed the subject. Stephanie scratched her cheek, before casting a quizzical glance skywards. Blinking the raindrops out of her lashes as she stared, she asked the heavens above, "WHERE'S ALEX?" The only reply she got was a rolling ball of thunder and the rain lessening just a fraction. Looking back at Matthew, she shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?"

At that moment, Atlanta decided it was high-time to rejoin the world of the conscious. With a gasp as if she had been kicked into a tub of ice-cold water, the archer bolted upright and let her eyes spring open.

Sky jumped a foot out of her skin at Atlanta's expected awakening, and the poor thing never got time to settle, because the demi-goddess was turning her gaze onto them.

Atlanta's pallid cheeks were stained with blood—blood that was now diluted by tears of irritation, and was still spilling from her waterline—and her countenance was shrouded with exhaustion. Her _eyes_, they were what unsettled Sky so much. The markswoman's pupils were thin and vertical; like the eyes of a predator, and her irises; an iridescent shade of silver-gold that was only reserved for the moon.

"Oh, gods…" Stephanie blurted, as she subconsciously traced her own eyes with a look of half-masked shock on her face.

The eldest demi-goddess blinked at the looks on her cousins and Sky's faces. "What…?" Not liking _at all_ how disturbed their expressions were, she removed the clip from her hair and morphed it back into her bow. The glimmering, celestial bow allowed her to see her reflect plain as day. "What—WHAT DID THEY DO!"

These—these eyes were not hers'! For one, they looked a lot too much like Artemis' eyes, and for two—they really were _NOT _hers', they just couldn't be.

Without even looking up, Atlanta could see (plain as day) that Matthew had turned away from her, and that Stephanie was making a face as if she was in pain. Whoa… if she thought her peripheral vision was stellar before.

Looking away from the reflective surface of her bow, she could tell that, out the very _faaaaar _corner of her eye, Kyle and Zoe (just hidden behind the roof of the Sun Chariot and a few stalks of corn) were talking quietly within each other's personal space.

Torn between absolute fury for her mother's tampering—yet again!—and appreciation for the gift these magnificent _hunter's _eyes, (for the lack of a better term for them...) the redhead wiped the moisture off her face, and stood up.

"Are you okay, Atlanta?" Katie asked, reemerging from the Sun Chariot with a worried look on her face. "Your eyes…"

"I'm fine… for now." The daughter of Artemis waved her off, before letting on a solemn look cross her features. "But, _I'm _not what we need to worry about. Alex is with the Olympians—Mom… _Artemis_—she says that he's in trouble; something about him falling behind on his deadline." Atlanta shook her head, as she tried to make sense of what she had been told.

"…deadline for what?" Zoe asked, standing on her toes so that she could lean on the hood of the Sun Chariot.

All eyes were on Atlanta, (but, by now, she was used to that) "To kill Nárkissa, perhaps. I don't know, for sure, but that seems to be the reason. She does want to absorb Aléxandros; being that he's the piece of Nexus with the most power—and finish what they started. As Katie said—Nárkissa wants to start WWIII."

The daughter of Nike blushed. "You heard me!"

"Half of the mid-west could hear you, Kat." Kyle joked weakly. When he received a glare from Zoe _("how dare you give her a nickname?" the daughter of Hades hissed under her breath, before elbowing him sharply in the side.)_ he got quiet and furrowed his brows.

"What are we waiting for? We have to help him!" Sky said urgently, as she strolled over to the cherry-red car that was currently in their possession.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Matthew deadpanned, looking at the daughter of Notus as if she was doing something terribly offensive.

"We go visit the family on Olympus, of course. We do still have the Sun Chariot." Stephanie said straightforwardly, as she brushed her fringe out of her eyes.

As if it would be as easy as she said.

* * *

><p>Standing in front of the Olympian's, who were regarding them like they were ants—or snot-nosed children—Matthew found himself scowling like it was no body's business. Apparently, it was as easy as Stephanie had said.<p>

They were hardly there for ten minutes, when Zeus had motioned for Aléxandros to join the demi-gods once more. "Go on, Nexus… I am not going to allow you any more time." The king of gods didn't look too pleased with what was going on, but his displeasure was nothing compared to the vehemence that radiating off of Hera in waves.

The queen of gods looked ready to burst an artery, as she sat back and watched her husband (once again) do something akin to coddling—in her book—the godling that was shifting awkwardly before them.

Katie suppressed a bright smile at the news that Aléxandros would be returning to them. That meant that they would _finally _be able to get onto Demeter's trial!

The godling bowed his head gingerly, as he tried to avoid the mixed looks on the Olympians faces. Staring down at the clean, undone laces of his new sneakers, he resisted the urge to smile, as well. One of the pros of being Nexus; he wasn't punished by Zeus nearly as bad as he should have been. One of the cons of being Nexus; Hera and Artemis hated his guts. It was a win-lose of equal portions—keeps him on his toes.

"Thank you, father…"Righting himself, Alex nodded to the rest of the Olympian's—his gaze lingering a little longer than necessary on Apollo (who was shooting apologetic looks at Atlanta for searing her eyes)—before he turned on his heel and gestured for the demi-gods to leave.

As the blonde started to leave, he was stopped by Demeter. "_Aléxandros_, one more moment—"Scowling when she heard the muffled groans of protest from the tiny teens, the goddess of Harvest rose from her throne and shrunk down to Alex's size.

(Well, not exactly _his _size—more like the size of a full-grown woman… you get the point!) "I give you my word that I will take the others to my temple, to complete the next trial; but, I request that you stay a little while longer. I have some matters that I would like to discuss with you—_in private_."

Zoe scrunched her face up. It was no stretch of the imagination that she was not particularly pleased in the presence of the pretentious divinities who failed to recognize her father as one of them. It goes without saying that they weren't happy to see her, either.

Kyle noticed the hostility and put his arm around the ravenette's shoulders. He didn't mean for anyone to get the wrong message; (whatever that was) but, he wanted to get the point across that Zoe wasn't to be screwed with, so long as he had anything to say about it.

Of course, his efforts were wasted, because the Olympians had more important things to worry about than a petulant child of Hades.

Atlanta frowned when her eyes and met Artemis'. The goddess of the Hunt was giving her that look. That—that _'don't be mad at me, damn it! I didn't do anything to deserve this unruly behavior from you, child!__' _that famous look that all godly parents gave their begrudging semi-divine offspring.

Snuffling indignantly, she looked away quickly. Retraining her eyes upon the others, she said, "Well, I know the temple isn't going to get up and leave, but—I think, (if we're going to keep up with the deadline) we should go."

Demeter nodded, and not before long, the demi-gods vanished. "Come, Aléxandros..." The goddess gestured for him to take her hand, and they too disappeared.

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: Demeter's Temple Part 2.<strong>


	8. Challenge 4: Demeter Part Two

**A\N: And, here's part two! :D Tried to put some action in it, but I'm sure I failed! Ugh, and I just realized, after reading through this with my sister, that Fanfiction . net is screwing up my story. Deleting words, scrambling the placement of things—all that nonsense. Maybe I'm being punished for being so—whatever I am. **

* * *

><p>Sky was still recovering from her graceless, face-plant meeting with the soil, when she heard Stephanie swearing under her breath about how she might have swallowed one of her molars. A quick glance over at the daughter of Apollo, and she was able to say that the shorter girl still had all of her pearly-white teeth.<p>

"Stop being such a baby, Steph."Matthew chides, clapping his half-sister on the back with the clear intent to unsettle her.

She glared at him, still flinching from the shocks of pain that radiated from the afflicted spot on her back "You're such a dick, _Matty_, and for no good reason, too." Shaking her head, the demi-goddess looked around for the others.

Zoe was laying spread-eagle on the dirt, eyes glazed over and mouth hanging open slightly as she dragged in breath after breath. "Gods…she might as well have shoved dirt in my lungs." She finally said when her chest stopped heaving in a bold demand for air.

Katie had an expression that was a cross between a smirk and a grimace, as she used her dainty fingers to comb dirt out of the curled end of her braid, and watched Kyle try to hold down his lunch.

Atlanta had been taking in the landscape—perhaps, she was trying to map out just how this trial was supposed to work, before she went out and almost got everyone killed.

They were standing just on the muddy edge of a lush, impossibly-green field that stretched and winded well out of sight. The grass was tall, healthy, and glossed over with a thin sheet of dew; which made them shimmer like priceless emeralds under the sun—and the moonlight! Whoa, it was both night and day in this sanctuary.

Sure that the sight above them was just a trick of the ceiling, Atlanta observed it more closely. Staring up at the dome-shaped ceiling, she had to give Demeter her credit. It did look breathtaking.

Half of the arched atmosphere was immersed in a smooth, silk veil of the deepest violets, darkest azures, and the most mysterious swirls of onyx. The stars were draped along the night sky like a velvety duvet of lace; scattered across the dusky canvas in an intricate pattern; they twinkled and winked down at the demi-gods. And last, but not least, was the sight of the Harvest moon. It was looming overhead, casting an ominous vermillion hue over half of the garden—it's iridescent light causing the tall plants to writhe and dance…wait—not dance, grow! The moonlight was making them grow!

Moon-loving plants from all across the world—some recognizable (some not)—twisted towards the incandescent light source. The foliage that stuck out the most, to Atlanta (aside from the Venus-Flytrap that was larger than life, and the oranges from the other side of the field that were the size of soccer balls,) were these tall, thick stalks that rose from the earth straight up to the sky. They were atleast fifty feet high, and looked to be sleeves of wheat. Except, wheat never looked so amazing.

On the aforementioned opposing side of the field; it couldn't contrast more. The plants were bright, lively, and more importantly—not poisonous, or deadly in any sort of way. Strawberries the deepest shades of rubicund, and they were about the size of watermelons. Hanging from their vines, just ripe for the picking, they made the demi-gods mouths water. Though, they knew better than to try to eat them. The food in these temples weren't very edible.

The sun was perched high in the sky, charming and cheerful; it's distinct gold-ochre glow complementing the beautiful, illustrious shade of ocean-blue that was blotted around the backdrop as if it were high-priced, glossy paint. The clouds accenting the whole thing with their, cute appearance—they looked like giant, puffy swirls of sugar!

Just beyond the amazing allotments was another patch of unplanted soil, which was marked by a tall, wire-fence that was made of what appeared to be bronze, and was long enough to cover both halves of the garden.

Resting right in front of the fence, with their feet digging firmly in the dirt, were two statutes of—(Atlanta zeroed in on the sculptures, her predatory eyes catching the light, to get the best look possible from the distance they were at.)—centaurs.

The one shrouded in the darkness was a handsome man; and even though it was hard to make out his facial expression, he seemed to be brooding. And respectively, the one that was bathed in the lightness was a beautiful woman with a bland, intelligent expression on her face.

Spotting and sensing no danger, at all, Atlanta looked back over to the other demi-gods, and gestured for them to follow her. "Come on... across the garden there's these two statues—maybe they have a hint as to what we're supposed to be doing?"

Seeing no reason not to, the lot of them walked after the redhead—careful as they were not to crush any of the plants, just in case they were booby-trapped, they couldn't avoid stepping on the leaves on the ground.

They crunched loudly under their feet, as if signaling to any hungry beast that dinner was ready.

Katie, not wanting to think about being something's meal, decided to speak up. The closest person to her was Zoe, and while they were on equal footing—having never fought or argued—it was no less as unfriendly as the rest of the daughter of Hades' conversations with others'.

Not willing to be shot down, though, (because, that meant walking in silence, again) she continued bringing up pointless conversation after pointless conversation. "So, what do you think the task is going to be?"

Zoe tried not to pull her hair out with frustration. She liked Katie, she really did. The girl was cooler than lemonade, sometimes, and even though they weren't in any way friends; the daughter of Nike could quickly grow on Zoe, if she would stop being so damned friendly to Kyle.

Grinding her teeth together, she tried her hardest to hold back her rage. It was like grabbing a bull by its horns and trying to subdue it—translation; it was extremely stupid and unequivocally futile.

However, instead of yelling at Katie, she melted into the shadows of the sunlit portion of the garden and reappeared a good distance away from the group. Though, it was no leap of the imagination that, judging by all her animated movements and the way her swears resounded throughout the garden; she was so agitated that she was delirious.

Looking sufficiently ruffled when the daughter of Hades bolted, Katie looked at Stephanie—who gave her a look that was both apologetic and expectant. _"What did you expect from someone like her?" _is exactly was what it read.

Sky fell a little way behind the group, when she noticed Matthew brooding a little worse than usual. Maybe she could try to work an apology out of him? 'Course, she would have to apologize as well, but, as long as it would stop him from acting so sullen, she would give it a shot.

"Matt…Hey, look—I'm sorry about earlier." The words kind of spilled out of her mouth, as she watched the group progress through the field, and towards the statutes, out of the corner of her eyes. "We were all freaking out; my temper got the best of me. I know yours' did, too. So, can we just put it behind us?"

The son of Apollo said nothing, and instead chose to walk a little faster. Shoulders squared, and head tilted upwards just a bit; so that his emerald eyes could peek out through the curtain of chestnut hair that always fell in front of them, Matthew shoved his hands in his pockets, and outright ignored Sky's apology.

The redhead scowled, before picking up the pace. From a drag to a brisk walk, she reached out and caught the taller semi-divine by his shoulder. "Don't do this, Matt." She said, half-pleading and half-exasperated.

Matthew shrugged his shoulder out of her grip, and started walking sideways; thus, walking deeper and deeper into the lit halve.

Fed up, Sky raked her hands through her shortened hair and caught the feather that was in it. With Swift in hand, energy pulsed through her veins—power; her power of the winds, drained into the quill and transformed it.

The root of the feather thickened and lengthened, turning into a sturdy handle in the palm of Sky's hand, and from said handle came the blade—it was almost four feet long. Being that Swift wasn't made of any metal—just the wind itself, the blade had a wispy, ethereal glow to it and was almost completely transparent, other than its thin, silver-colored spine.

As Swift pointed towards the ceiling, tall and proud, looking as flawless and ethereal as the day Notus had given it to her; its owner glowered at her retreating companion. Oh, what she would do to him—no, what she was _going_ to do to him.

Without a thought, Sky sliced the blade across the air, and a huge, (almost visible) spiraling squall came from the tip of Swift. The swell of wind tore through the sunbathed allotment; uprooting and throwing anything and everything in its path, like a tornado, and sweeping Matthew off his feet.

He hit the ground using his most colorful language, and when he regained his equilibrium, he cut his emerald eyes at Sky and called her something right foul.

Meanwhile, about a hundred feet away, Atlanta and Stephanie had just rescued Katie's ankle from a thick cypress limb. "Man, these things are tricky!" The daughter of Apollo complained, as she stumbled over a root, herself.

Flailing her arms to keep from falling backwards into a large patch of Datura Stramonium, (Or, Moonflower* for short) she swore. "Why does Demeter have all this stuff, anyways?"

Kyle caught her by the wrist, and helped her plant her feet firmly on the ground. "She has _all this stuff, _because she's the goddess of the Harvest; and, well, anything that can be grown from soil is her specialty."

Zoe scoffed, before snatching Kyle's hands away from Stephanie. "Don't be stupid, Anderson—"Though, the two of them shared the same last name (Kyle and Stephanie) they both knew that the daughter of Hades was referring to the brunette with the blonde streaks. "—As if you didn't friggin' know that...!"

Atlanta rolled her eyes when the two started sniping at each other.

Long before any of this, when Zoe was still somewhat new to camp; she and Stephanie had crossed paths. They weren't enemies, then—in fact, they were actually quite partial to one another. For a while, it seemed as though the daughter of Hades had actually met a worth-while individual, and likewise for Stephanie.

Unfortunately, things between them soured when the daughter of Apollo figured out _who _her friend was. And the argument that followed was absolutely brutal—from there, they've never been on the best of terms. And now with Zoe's obvious _not_-crush on Kyle, and Stephanie's friendship with him, things were even tenser between the two of them.

"Stow it, ladies. We've still got shit to do." was the daughter of Artemis' stern voice, slicing through their squabble with the effectiveness of an arrow embedding itself in one's chest.

While they quieted down, emerald and onyx eyes exchanged withering glares. Zoe's grip on Kyle's hostage hands tightened, as she dragged him away from the group. _("Screw it, we need to talk… yes, __now__, dumbass.)_

Katie watched them go, and then turned to see Stephanie extending her hand. "What?"

"You know _what_, Kat… I want my freakin' money back." Her hand flexed impatiently, as she waited for the brunette to return her ten dollars. "Those two are totally an item, and there's no denying it now."

Katie deadpanned, totally forgetting about their bet. "Wow, you're right." She watched the ravenette's backs, as they disappeared behind an elephant-sized sunflower. "Wait—I don't have any money on me! I left my bag in the car!"

It was true, they had all left their bags in the boot of the Sun Chariot—only bothering to bring their weapons, since they were sure the Olympian's wouldn't appreciate someone breaking something with their cumbersome backpack—meaning that, if Aléxandros didn't make nice with Apollo, they'd be traveling light for a while.

The daughter of Nike groaned, when she realized that her stuffed-animal; Nikólaos, would be lost forever (not really) if they didn't get the cherry-red vehicle back.

Stephanie clapped her on the back gently. "Don't worry, Kat…the Sun Chariot should still be parked where we left it, by time we get out of here."

Her words did little to assuage Katie's worry, but the brunette remembered what they were doing, and decided to push her anxiety to the back of her mind. "Heh, it's okay…I'm too old for stuffed-animals, anyway." She lied with a shrug of her shoulders, as she started following Atlanta, once again.

While Sky and Matthew were up to no good, and Kyle and Zoe were working out their strange relationship in hushed tones, the daughter of Artemis had just reached the end of the field, and was stepping off the glistening grass and onto the barren earth.

Her eyes scanned the large fence for anything suspicious, before they settled on the large colossus of a statue of the male centaur. A bit of redness colored her cheeks, as she took in the creature's smooth, marble underbelly. Yep, it was definitely male.

Looking away, she chided herself for letting its peculiar genitalia embarrass her. She was a grown woman, and has seen plenty of naked men. (Okay, just one living man—you can probably guess who—but, plenty of statues, too… which counted for something… _maybe? No…_)

Clearing her throat, Atlanta threw a look over her shoulder. Katie and Stephanie had just joined her on the dirt, but the other two pairs were still screwing around. "COME ON, YOU GUYS! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!" She called.

When they finally came around, the others had mixed expressions.

Matthew was seething and covered in fruit juice, and Sky was looking especially pleased with herself—that is, until he peeled off a piece of orange rind and shoved it down the back of her shirt. Then, she was looking as annoyed as he was.

Zoe had an unreadable look in her eyes, as her lips thinned in a straight line. An uneducated guess would be that she was straining to hold back a smile—because, smiles were not her thing and everyone else needed to mind their damned business, if she _did _feel the need to do so. While, Kyle looked dazed and disheveled—whatever they talked about, must have been shocking for the son of Nyx to be so unguarded with his emotions.

Atlanta was about to say something—berate her younger questers for misbehaving badly—when a loud, booming voice threatened to deafen her.

"Children—why must you argue? It is a wonderful day, is it not?" came a deep, baritone voice from above. It sounded familiar—as if they all had heard this voice from somewhere before.

Looking around for the source of the voice, the demi-gods found themselves looking up at the statute of the Centaur—what the shit? Was it… talking to them? Seeing as there weren't any other children around, it was safe to assume that it—_**he**_ was.

Waiting until she was sure that everyone had plugged their ears with their fingers, (to prevent being deafened by the centaur's voice) Sky looked up at the statute and hollered, so that he could hear her, "WHO ARE YOU?"

He let out a healthy laugh that reverberated in everyone's chest. "There is no need to shout, as I am still very much capable of hearing you." Sky blushed, embarrassed. "I am Ýdo̱r; sole protector of this sanctuary, and this siren beside me, is my wife; Perivóli," The statute gestured towards the resting female centaur, with a smile that did not reach his stony eyes. "May I ask who you are, and what brings you all to our garden?"

Sky shook her head, as if it wasn't any problem at all that a giant, centaur with a loud voice and a body of stone was trying to make small talk with her. "My name is Sky; daughter of Notus" She said in a normal voice. "And, these are my companions—"

Ýdo̱r laughed again, and Sky's cheeks flushed a darker shade. "Your friends are capable of introducing themselves, are they not?" His large seeking eyes roved over the others'.

Soon enough, they all found themselves exchanging names. ("_Kathyrn Rose Knapp; Daughter of Nike" maybe she was just a little proud of her given name, so what? "Matthew Ross; Son of Apollo", "Stephanie Anderson; Daughter of Apollo and half-sister of him," She motioned towards Matthew with a sly smirk, "Kyle Anderson; Son of Nyx", and so on._)

A look of understanding crossed Ýdo̱r's face. "Ah, demi-gods… it's been summers since your kind have visited… But, I suppose that; since I have been given word of your impending arrival, I am to believe that you are here to complete the trial. Correct?"

Katie nodded. "Correct!" She shouted, but not for Ýdo̱r's sake; but because she couldn't hear _anything_ with her ears plugged up the way they were.

The centaur's facewent from inviting and warm, to stony and calloused. "Perivóli, we have adventurers." He informed his wife, as he stared (somewhat despondently) down at the demi-gods.

The female centaur peeled her eyes open, "I am not deaf, Ýdo̱r—I heard them say who they were." Glancing down at them, as if they were trash on her hoof, she moved a little.

The whole temple shook as she lifted her hoofs off the ground just a fraction, and put them right back down again. Shifting her shoulders and flexing her neck, Perivóli settled again.

"Stiff as a statute, huh?" Stephanie snorted, amused by her own joke.

"SILENCE," Perivóli boomed, causing even Ýdo̱r's ears to ache. Well, wasn't she just a ball of sunshine? "If you are here for the trial, I expect you to do just that."

What was that supposed to mean? … _**S.T.F.U**_?

Rubbed the wrong way, the daughter of Apollo stuck both of her middle fingers up. Not that it meant anything to Perivóli, though.

"So, what do we do?" Atlanta asked, trying not to be fazed by the female centaur's batty attitude.

"Why ever would I tell you, daughter of Artemis?" Perivóli snapped.

Oh, right. Centaurs didn't like hunters very much. Atlanta should have known that.

Ýdo̱r shook his head, and the sound of marble sliding against marble rung in the ears of the demi-gods like nails on a chalkboard. "Perivóli—_Love_—calm your storm. Young Artemis does not aim to offend, so you should not, either."

Atlanta prickled at being called '_young Artemis', _as if she was anything like her mother, she scoffed mentally at that idea. _For one; she wasn't a man-hater! _Keeping herself from saying something to agitate Perivóli further—just in case the titan-sized centaur wanted to crush her under her hoof—the redhead spoke up, once more with a polite tone-of-voice. "We were sent here by the gods; I'm sure you know that; so, you two must already know that it's imperative that we complete this trial. So, even if you can't actually tell us, can you atleast point us into the direction?"

Perivóli tilted her head up and let out a jaunty laugh. "You all may have a golden seal of the Olympian's approval stamped on your foreheads; but, I shall never offer any aid to the likes of you."

Her tone was dripping with venom, and Zoe had had enough. "Okay… look, bitch, whatever hang-ups you have about _**us**__, _you need to let them go, and like real fast—because, while I am not a snitch; I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it if Zeus came here, and rammed his shining lightning bolt into your ass for rubbing raw against us, like a freakin' cactus!"

If laughing hadn't been so inappropriate at a time like this, most of the demi-gods would be in tears. Zoe was known for her impudence in the face of danger and her impropriety, but—_damn, _did she know no bounds! And if she and Stephanie were still cool; the brunette would be clapping her on the back and congratulating her for angering the tall, marble beast.

The female centaur roared, and the ground violently shook momentarily, before a strong wind whooshed past the demi-gods—knocking all but Sky off their feet—and Zoe found herself being held a few good feet off the ground by a modestly sized Perivóli.

The daughter of Hades kicked and struggled; but it was hopeless, the guardian had a strong grip. "Fnngh…" She choked on her saliva, as her throat constricted with the pressure. For Perivóli, it must have been like squeezing the middle of a straw.

Everyone jumped to their feet, ready to rescue their traveling companion, but no one reacted as wildly as Kyle. He brandished his sword, and struck Perivóli. His onyx blade pierced the furry, brown skin easily, and sliced straight into the muscle in the back of the Centaur's hind leg.

She let out a howl, and threw Zoe onto her attacker, before seizing the blade and wriggling it out of her leg. Cursing in her native tongue, she flung Kyle's sword a good feet away, and dove at his and Zoe's sprawled out forms like a raging bull.

It was a miracle that Ýdo̱r was faster than her, because she would have ended the two ravenettes faster than anyone could blink. Now modestly sized; he seized his wife by her long, swishy tail, and yanked her backward.

"Enough…" He ordered, moving his grip to his wife's hair when she didn't let up. Tangling his fingers in her impressive mane, he snatched her head back; bearing her neck to the demi-gods, as he whispered dangerously in her ear, _"or, by the gods, young Artemis will lay through you." _

Atlanta, and just about everyone else, heard him loud and clear, but decided not to say anything about it.

Zoe was just scrambling from under Kyle and unto her feet, when she saw Perivóli bow her head. What was supposed to be submission looked like—to the daughter of Hades—absolute defiance.

"I apologize, young Hades—young Nyx," He regarded them sullenly, as he let go of his wife's lavish ringlets. "Perivóli has been overcome with anxiety and distrust as of late…"Ýdo̱r hesitated for a moment, before throwing caution to the wind, and continuing. "My wife fears for our safety. So do I. As long as Nexus is amongst us, once again, bidding her time and regaining her strength; all of our lives are at risk."

Kyle, having picked himself off the ground, let his eyes widen. "Alcinda—she talked about Nexus, too." He said when Ýdo̱r looked at him with a forced expression of incomprehension. After all, statutes didn't emote.

"You know of the guardian, Alcinda? You have visited Apollo's sanctuary, then?" Ýdo̱r seemed to be piecing everything together for those who were out of the loop. "I presume you are unaware of her passing?" Zoe's jaw dropped. "She has been killed by Nexus… did you not know? The savage devoured her—claimed her immortal blood."

"Wh-wait…_what?_" Katie asked, her head positively spinning at the news. Aléxandros is Nexus—and he was at the temple with… could he have? "Her_** 'immortal blood'**_—wait? But, if she's immortal; she can't die… right?"

Perivóli's eyes burned with hatred as she stared down at the daughter of Nike. Modestly sized for the centaur meant twelve-feet tall; so, she had to crane her neck quite a bit, to see the petite demi-goddess, "We all have our weaknesses, child."

A light bulb flickered on in Sky's head. Acanthus had been immortal—technically, anyways—and she had killed him with a well-placed stab to the jugular. "Nexus knows your weaknesses?" It was question that needn't answering, but, she couldn't stop it from tumbling from her lips.

About now, she was getting the same idea in her head as Katie. Could Alex have—no…? Uh, how about _no way!_ She trusted him not to.

Ýdo̱r nodded. "I am afraid so. Nevertheless, it is nothing to concern yourselves with, as the gods now know that Nexus is still very much bloodthirsty," _No pun intended. _"And should be watching her closely, by now…"

Matthew shook his head defiantly, "Actually, it is something we should 'concern ourselves with', since, we have been tasked to kill her."

Both centaurs looked shocked. _So much for being kept in the loop…_ Perivóli's eyebrows almost disappeared in her hairline. "What? Why hadn't we been informed of this?" She looked angrily at Ýdo̱r, before turning back to the demi-gods. Letting out a very horsey sound, she dropped her pompous façade at once. "Ugh! We are doing nothing, but wasting time with this conversation, then."

"Those were my thoughts, exactly." rang a mocking, somewhat amused voice. It was obvious that it came from no one in their huddle, because it belonged to Aléxandros.

All eyes traveled to where his voice came from, and all but the centaurs gasped. Standing before them was a man—no a _god_!—with a beautiful, bronze complexion, (that seemed to give off an ethereal glow.) azure eyes—like really, really azure eyes; that seemed to have electrical undercurrents swimming through them—and short, coarse, curly hair, that was the deepest shade of coffee, and it was styled much like that of an ancient Greek statute.

Alex's cheekbones were high, his chin round and defined, and his lips were womanly—rounded, soft and plump; instead of the usual hard lines of a man's face. It was weird—how all his features came together to create his masculine, yet feminine face.

_Gods_… _was this really how Aléxandros looked? _Sky's breath burned in her throat, as she stared at him and forgot how to inhale. He was lithe and tall—about 6'3—and clad in a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue-and-white, gingham button up shirt. His backpack slung over his shoulder like it usually was.

They should have anticipated this—this different appearance; because they knew he wasn't Jessup, but it was still no less shocking.

"You guys look like you've seen a ghost." His smirked deepened, as he stepped onto the soil beside them. "Ýdo̱r, Perivóli…I expect that you've told them nothing but what they need to know?" Alex's voice was expectant and humming with hidden amusement.

Atlanta stared numbly at the godling, before dragging her eyes away from him and looking at the centaurs. They looked disgusted—absolutely repulsed—to be in his presence. She could understand why, though. They believed him to be a murderer, a cannibal, and—a lot of other unsavory things.

"We were getting to that, Nexus." Perivóli looked ready to throw up, when she said Alex's proper name.

The brunette shrugged. "Then, by all means, continue." Flexing his hands with a flourish, he shifted around until he was standing side-by-side with Zoe. (The ravenette admired him from the corner of her eye. She might not have liked him in the slightest—she hated him in fact—but, gods, was he definitely some eye-candy she didn't mind feasting upon.)

Ýdo̱r, holding his temper at bay, looked aloft. If he were human, Stephanie would have suspected he was counting backwards from ten. "The objective of this trial is simple. You must sire, from these fertile lands, the golden sleeve. Despite that it appears to be an assortment of wheat; it is truly a powerful piece of armor."

"How do we—er—grow it?" The daughter of Apollo asked carefully.

Alex poked her back irritably with his index finger. "The grapes, remember?" Just when she was going to fret that she didn't have them, anymore, the godling brought them into sight. "Good news, we still have the Sun Chariot in our possession—"

Katie's eyebrows knitted together. "And the bad news…?"

The godling's expression faltered. "It was in no way free…and I sincerely mean that _it was in no way free__._" He made a face similar to a child that had just eaten broccoli. "Sometimes, I hate myself for the things I have to do to keep this operation running smoothly."

It took a minute for the daughter of Nike to understand what Alex was saying, but when she did, her face was as red as Atlanta and Sky's hair combined, and her ears were burning as if on fire. "Oh, gods…!" She choked, holding a hand to her mouth.

Zoe snorted, (_'He'd better have been worth the all damn waiting...'_),before turning her attention back to the task at hand. "There's got to be a catch to this trial. Where are the monsters and ghouls? What do we have to sacrifice? ...all that arbitrary shit that makes these tasks difficult?"

Perivóli snuffled, before tilting her head upwards. "Just beyond this fence is where you will propagate the seeds. But, be warned that it will not grow without an ample of life's wine." With that, the fence disappeared, and the female centaur motioned for them to go. "Hurry now."

* * *

><p>On the other side of the fence, the group was greeted by blistering hot winds, courtesy of the indistinguishable whirlwinds tearing through the garden—or atleast, that's what Perivóli implied it to be. It looked a lot more like a desert…<p>

Tall, rolling dunes stretched out far back, until they disappeared at the line of the horizon. Dried up lakebeds were filled with bones—dried up, ash white bones. (If someone were to touch them, they would probably fall to dust in their hands.) And as far as the eye could see, there were bronze-plated lions.

"Don't let this place intimidate you." Alex offered, as he walked to the front of the group. "This isn't where we have to plant the seed—we need to get over that dune," he pointed it out—the mound was just beyond a horde of lions on the prowl. "There's a lake surrounded by an amazing allotment of soil—the one I was talking about the other day."

Matthew glared at the back of the godling's head, as the brunette stepped passed him, and started plotting out a safe way to get to their destination. As they stood on the coarse, coal-colored soil, waiting for Alex to say something; they slowly felt it burning their feet straight through their shoes and socks.

Because, Katie had sandals on; she was the first to react. "OW!" She hissed, as she did a strange little bit of a jig—hopping between her left and right foot; waving her arms frantically, as the sand burned her skin.

Her yelping attracted the attention of a few of the lions; who were ambling around, sniffing the soil for their next meal. Gods, when was their last meal… half a century ago?

The lions roared, and soon, their bronze bodies were nothing but a blur as they charged.

Atlanta rolled out the way, and landed on her back in the sand. "SHIT!" She exclaimed, bolting up, and rubbing it off her skin. It burned—oh, did it burn like the flames of Olympus!

Matthew and Sky were pressed back to back, as they readied to defend themselves. Their weapons glimmered under the flaming-red sun, as they watched and waited for the two lions circling them to attack.

It only took a few moments for them to do so. With a fierce roar, one of the bronze-beast lunged at Sky! She hardly had any time to do anything—thrusting Swift outwards to meet the creature's wrinkled face, she clenched her eyes shut when her sweat dripped into them.

There was the sickening sound of a sword piercing the lion's facial armor and skull—but, it wasn't Swift that was embedded right between its eyes. Instead, it was one of Matthew's blades.

Blood pounded in Sky's ears, as she blinked perspiration out of her eyes to get a better view of the scene before her. Swift was nowhere near the creature's face, like she had thought; it was Matthew's. Swift was, instead, pointed just a few scant inches away from the lion's head, with the son of Apollo's elbow propped on it

Blinking confusedly, as she watched its inky blood trail down Matthew's blade, turquoise eyes darted around to take in every detail. Matthew was twisted at an odd angle; his chest pressed firmly against her back, and his head leant against her own, so that he could see the felled creature as she did.

She couldn't see behind herself, but she could hazard a guess that his other blade was embedded in the other lion, as well.

The son of Apollo panted steadily in her ear, as the adrenaline thrummed throughout his body. _"Move...!" _He hissed in a deadly voice, as he readied to yank the swords out of the defeated lions.

Sky nodded dumbly, before she scooped Swift to her chest, and ducked under Matthew's arms. Letting her feet carry her, the daughter of Notus dashed away from the brunette. Spotting Zoe getting a little more than she bargained for, when the bronze cats darted at her, the redhead sliced Swift through the air and sent a decent sized tornado spinning at them.

The daughter of Hades tucked and rolled out of the way, right as the lions were bowled over by the whirlwind, and shot Sky a heated look—unsure if she should thank her, or not.

If she thought about expressing gratitude to Sky, Kyle grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet chased that notion away. "Come on, we need to follow Alex."

The godling in question was ducking and slashing at the lions with his little-seen, arched blade, as he carved out a path for the demi-gods.

As the ravenettes ran hand-in-hand, using the shadows to fight off any approaching lions; Stephanie was risking life and limb to save Katie.

The daughter of Apollo had tackled the brunette out of the way, right in time for one of the big cats that was leaping at her to miss landing a lethal swipe of razor-sharp, bronze talons on the girl's chest.

And soon, they were sprawled out on the earth and reacting very much like Atlanta did, when the black sand poured into their clothing and stung their skin. Swearing and carrying on, Stephanie pulled herself to her feet, dragging Katie upright, as well; before she bolted for the dune that Alex and the others were heading towards. "Run faster, Kat!" She commanded, as her feet hit the ground with such tremendous force, that she kicked up pints of sand.

They battled and fought the beast, all the while traversing the dangerous (and not to mention _steep_) dune, and only finally caught a break when they reached the apex of the mound. Apparently, that was as far as the lions would climb, and whichever ones of them were not strewn across the desolate desert; reduced to nothing but gore and large parts, retreated.

The adventurers panted, as the excess adrenaline dizzied them. Atlanta, usually used to pushing her body to extremes, was assisting Katie in her attempts to regain her breath. "Deep breaths… Deep breaths," Soon enough, the daughter of Nike would be able to take in air properly; because the dune started pointing downwards and the air began thickening, once more.

Zoe's lungs burned, as she grabbed onto the collar and the tail of Kyle's shirt to stay upright. The running she could handle, but the freakin' mountain climbing was too much—too much, too damned soon!

"You need to stop closing your eyes when you're in combat." Matthew said to Sky, as they bent their knees at an odd angle, and began trekking down the dune.

The teen's turquoise eyes flew wide open in shock, and lightened just a fraction as her body stopped pumping out all those endorphins. "What? I do not close my eyes! Ugh… why do _you_ care, anyway?" She exclaimed hotly, looking at the son of Apollo with his own, patented, disgusted expression. "If anything, you need to stop showing off—or better yet, stop staring at me when I fight!"

Matthew looked taken aback, but didn't say anything passed, "Whatever."

Sky looked absolutely ruffled, as she followed him. "What do you mean; _whatever?_ You just can't go critiquing my combat style and then run away when I don't want to take your crap." Her face was as red as her hair—and it wasn't from sunburn. "You don't get to be a jerk… that's not how this works."

Matthew growled, "And you don't get to tell me how shit works—none of us have a say in what happens! We just fight to survive, and the best of our shitty existence." flicking his hair out of his eyes, he climbed down the sandbank faster than Sky could retort.

"Let him go, Sky… he'll get over it, eventually." Stephanie assured, patting the tall redhead on her shoulder.

The group fell silent, as Alex led them to the base of the dune. "Here we are." The godling announced, his azure eyes twinkling like the large body of water that was only a few scant feet from where he was standing.

Kneeling to the ground, Alex smoothed his fingers along the soil. Oddly enough, despite looking just like the sand around and over the mound; this black sand was fine, silky, and cool to the touch. Nodding surely, he got up and faced the demi-gods. "This is it, guys. This is where we have to plant the grapes." As he said that, he peeled his rucksack off his shoulders, and produced the past temple's reward.

Handing each demi-god one grape, he instructed everyone to eat them. "What—why? Aren't we supposed to plant them?" Katie looked bewildered, as she stared down at the solid gold piece of fruit.

Alex tapped his chin in feigned thought. "Yes, but we have to extract the seed from them first. Look, think of it like a peach—these grapes have cores, (one large, copper seed…) and the only way to get it is to eat it. Trust me though, these things don't taste half-bad—and don't you remember the health benefits; invincibility?" When Katie shrugged and tucked the grape behind her lips, the godling smiled and did the same.

Half-bad was the most inaccurate description of the grapes ever uttered. They were sugar sweet, (like spike your insulin-levels way too friggin' high, sweet) and no one had any such luck keeping them down.

Spitting the copper pit into their hands, the semi-divines gave Alex their own kind of dirty looks. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I did (sort of) warn you, after all." He pouted, before collecting the seeds from everyone and burying them in their own, individual plots of dirt.

Zoe reached into the pocket of her cardigan, and retrieved a snicker bar. Even under the fringe that settled over her eyes, the others could still see the smug satisfaction glimmering in her onyx orbs.

"Where the—how did you…why do you always have food?" Atlanta eyed the daughter of Hades, as she bit into the candy bar.

The ravenette tried to talk with a mouthful of chocolate; but all they could make out were her distinct; _MMNGHFFFMMG__'s. _

Scrunching her face up with antipathy, Atlanta looked down at Alex; who was still crouching in the dirt. His hands were bleeding, (his palms had two, deep vertical gashes in them) and his curved blade was glimmering with the crimson fluid. "Alex! What are you doing!" The daughter of Artemis' eyes widened, as she stared at the copious amount of blood trailing down the godling's fingers.

"As Perivóli said; these seeds need life's wine—translation, blood… I'm just giving them what they want." Alex reasoned, as he dripped the fluid onto the patches of soil. Every once in a while, his cuts would heal; and since at this moment in time, that wasn't good at all, he kept having to reopen the wound with a painful slice to his hands.

Katie cringed, as she watched him tear into his hand for the seventh time. "When do you know that you've given enough?"

Her question was answered when eight, tall stalks of wheat shot out of the ground. Unlike the other ones, they weren't nearly as big; but, looked just as magnificent. "Ta-da…" Alex waved his hands vividly, as they stared at the wheat. "What we came for; Demeter's armor. Though, it would better suited for someone like, I don't know—_her children_? It will definitely be useful to us on our quest."

Stephanie's brows knitted together. "Not to sound cynical, but—I don't see any armor; just cool-looking wheat."

Alex gave her a comical, hurt look. "That's because we haven't harvested it, yet!" Picking up his bloodied sword, he did just that. Chopping the golden wheat part away from the rich, green stalk, he brought all the celestial grain together. To the amazement of a few of the demi-gods, when all of the wheat came together, it fused and began transforming. The bulk of it formed a sleek breastplate, while the rest made two golden vambraces, and a pair of strong-looking shoulderplates.

A broad grin crossed the godling's face. "Our task is complete!"

"That's it…?" The demi-gods chorused.

Alex nodded. "Yeah… that's it. Think about it; these trials are for the likes of mortals—something we are not—so, to them it's impossible and deadly; finding this place, trying not to offend the centaurs, (Perivóli and Ýdo̱r) facing the bronze-lions, and traversing the treacherous ocean of black sand. Not to mention that, if they did ever make it here; they would need to spill atleast three and a half liters of blood to grow _one_—one part of the armor."

When he put it that way…

"So, when are we heading to the next temple?" Sky asked, watching Alex store the armor in his rucksack.

The godling's shoulders sagged. "As soon as I return the favor to Apollo; we're going to Ares' and Athena's temple."

Atlanta raised an eyebrow. "Their temples are in the same place?"

Alex nodded. "Yup, it's the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. Though, y'all have got to get your clothes first."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: The fierce battles of the next trials.<strong>

**Preview:**

**Katie was like a machine, (as if inflicted with both Ares' bloodlust and Lyssa's insanity) as she caught the beast with a vicious right hook, and slashed it with her sword. Back flipping when it roared and tried to claw at her, the brunette beckoned the creature over with a whoop. "COME AND GET ME!" **

**It sure tried. Charging at Katie with all its speed, it outstretched its claws. The daughter of Nike hoped it would; smirking as she easily sidestepped it, she slashed its gnarled hands off with one sure slice. **

**Outside of the cage, Zoe wrapped her fingers around the wire that kept them from assisting Katie—not that she needed it, anyway. An odd look of concentration and sadistic delight on her face; she shouted, "Come on, Knapp, tear him to pieces!"**

**Sky shared her enthusiasm. Pounding her palms on the fence, she cheered just as ferociously. When Matthew shot her a look, she stopped her vulgar chants. "Just a few more of them to go; and that next round'll start!"**


	9. Challenge 5: Ares Part One

**A\N: **First of all, I want to apologize to you guys for being totally AWOL—not answering PMs, not updating, and being dead to the world of fan fiction, in general. I'M SORRY YOU GUYS. :( *Flails* It's just that _alot_ has happened in the three months that I haven't been around. I've gotten sick, I've been out of the house for extended periods of time, _**(OMG! I GOT MYSELF A LIFE, FINALLY! :DDDD *forever alone***)_ I've been visiting family for the holidays, my sisters have been hogging the computers for school, I've been reading other book series, I've been watching movies, (Oh, _Immortals_, how you disappoint me!) AND—*Gasp* I've been writing a book series of my own. Those aren't really good excuses, but, they're all I have.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I lost nights of sleep trying to finish it before _SOMEONE_ sent Cerberus after me—(*narrows eyes* _You know who you are!_)—so, I haven't been able to proof read this, AT ALL; expect spelling mistakes, and for some things to be all over the place. :C Again, I'm sorry for being a spazz, and not updating, (I need to manage my time better, I know) and, I'm also sorry for making a long chapter without any action in it. I'm not in the same mind-set I was in, when I finished Demeter's trial; so, when I sat down to write this after such a long time, I didn't want to rush into the next trial, I wanted more character interaction. :) The next chapter, I promise, will have fight scenes and swearing like it's nobody's business.

Happy belated holidays everyone! :D I hope the New Year is as good for you guys, as it is for me.

**Disclaimer:** I haven't made one single cent of any of this story, or any of the recognizable things in it. So, you suits can come to my lair, and wave your fancy papers in my face, but, it won't do you any good; because, I haven't made a single PENNY off of this—or, any other fan fiction I've ever written.

In short—I like to take other peoples' characters and worlds, and abuse them for my own entertainment... that is, until I finish MY book—then, I'll abuse MY characters and universe. :) Oh, just to throw it in there—the storyline is _mine, _Nexus and her pieces are _mine, _the trials and temples are _mine_, the OCs in this belong to the lovely persons who I will list below.

**Characters in the chapter: **Aléxandros by Spartan-TeaParty (me), Stephanie Anderson by Starfan1245, Atlanta Hunter by DuskLightening, Kyle Anderson by Neon Templar, Zoe Hutton by artemishunter77, Katie Knapp by GoGreen216, Matthew Ross by Smartone101, and Sky by August57.

**Warnings for this chapter?: **The usual. Swearing, comic mischief and crude humor. You know, the things that would garner a T rating. oh, and let's not forget the 10k+ word count for this chapter! That's scary on a whole new level! D':

* * *

><p>The demigods were not pleased, in the slightest, when Aléxandros began announcing his impending departure—because, to them, it felt as though the Godling only hung around long enough to tell them what to do.<p>

Nevertheless, since they were aware of the circumstances surrounding this departure (unlike with the other, more abrupt, ones) even the likes of Zoe and Matthew reserved their complaints.

"I promise not to take longer than I need to." The Godling assured, his blue eyes scanning over the fresh faces of his half-blood charges, as he pushed his rucksack into Kyle's awaiting arms.

The son of Nyx sagged under the unexpected weight, but did not complain, as he slung the bag over his already fatiguing shoulder.

"Don't throw your back out." Zoe said, initially meaning to say it to Kyle; but when she caught the splash of red on Aléxandros' cheeks, she couldn't resist repeating it louder, and with a more humored tone.

"Don't let him throw your back out, Alex." The ravenette repeated, laughing smugly at her crude joke, and the Godling, when he flushed a darker shade.

Sky (who had been worrying that Kyle would drop the burdensome haversack on her foot) stepped closer to the blushing brunette. "Hey, wait… why do you even blush, when you hear about stuff like that? I'm mean, you're, like, ANCIENT, I would assume you've been around the block a few times."

"Just because you think about sex, and Aléxandros as a sexual creature, doesn't mean he does." Matthew criticized, surveying Sky with his burning emerald-green eyes.

The daughter of the winds bristled, "Don't act like you know how I think—and besides, there's nothing wrong with a little intimacy, especially at Alex's age."

Aléxandros' opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Sky and Matthew started sniping at each other. "Forget that I'm standing right here… with the answer to your question." He pouted.

Scowling when they continued to ignore him, the brunette looked over to Stephanie and Katie—who were caught between laughing immodestly behind their hands, and blushing to the roots of their hair.

"Hey, if anyone asks, I won't say you didn't try." Stephanie joked, grinning bashfully, when Alex made puppy-dog eyes at her.

Atlanta watched the scene unfold before her, as she carded her fingers through her somewhat matted, sweat-drenched tangles.

Rolling her moonlit eyes, when Matthew and Sky started shouting, (shouting, for crying out loud! Were they friggin' kids or what...?) She chastised them into silence with a lethargic voice (that had the slightest parental tone laced through it.) "You guys are already at each other's throats, and we haven't even gotten to the next trial—give it a rest, or I swear I'll break something important on each of you."

Matthew made a face befitting to one that had actually had their femur broken by Atlanta with a rusty pipe-wrench, "Whatever…"he grumbled hotly, shoving his hands into his pockets, as he turned his back to his older cousin.

Katie resisted the urge to laugh at the son of Apollo's expression, by staring bewildered at Atlanta. "You wouldn't do that to them… would you?" Her voice was wavering with restrained amusement.

The daughter of Artemis didn't reply, instead she turned her attention back to Aléxandros; who was just telling Stephanie, in a hush-hushed tone, that he was about to leave.

When their eyes met—distinctive moon-colored eyes and electric blue ones—Aléxandros smiled warmly at her.

Atlanta had no idea why he was looking at her with affectionate eyes, (eyes that reminded her of so many people at once; Lord Zeus and Thalia, for two) and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know why.

Luckily, she was freed from his eerie stare, when Stephanie inelegantly cleared her throat. "So…" She started, gaining everyone's attention, as she shuffled between her sneaker-covered feet.

"Not to hold you up, because I'd really like to see you off, but… if you don't mind sparing the crap out of the details—because, c'mon Apollo's my dad, as well as Matt's—what's going on between you and him?"

An uneasy quietness draped over their group, and Aléxandros furrowed his brows at that. These demigods were unusually inquisitive about this kind of thing.

Even though he was the eldest person in the group, and therefore, was not obligated to tell any of them anything, he felt like he owed Stephanie an answer.

He, after all, was hurt to discover that his own father, Zeus, had not stayed faithful to his—or more specifically, Nexus'—mother Illythia when she was alive.

Perhaps, Stephanie felt the same, but didn't outwardly express it?

With that thought in his mind, the brunette shrugged his shoulders, before offering in response to her question, "It's a long, complicated story… I won't do it an ounce bit of justice trying to abridge lifetimes worth of schoompy feelings. Perhaps, when we have the time, I'll tell you?"

Stephanie scrunched her face up, "Well, can you at least tell me how you and him are all touchy-feely, when he totally sold you—erm, Nexus—out to the Olympians? People have become enemies for a lot less."

To the daughter of Apollo's surprise, Zoe snorted in vague agreement.

Kyle shifted the Godling's heavy rucksack around on his back, before quietly stating, "If we're going to look at it like that, keep in mind that, people have stayed friends because of alot less, too." As if, it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Aléxandros smiled thankfully at the son of Nyx, before coolly slipping his hands into his pockets. "Kyle's right," He said in a singsong tone, as he regarded the two children of Apollo with mirthful blue eyes. "It'll take a helluva lot for me to hate someone; especially Apollo. Nexus was rather fond of your father, and for that, I am (if not reluctantly) somewhat fond of him, too.

"At the end of the day—I'm sad to say that—because I am still very much Nexus; despite my every complaint that I'm not her—to those that she identified with, (in her life as a whole existence) I can only feel what she felt towards them."

Sky, having recovered her voice from yelling at Matthew, cleared her throat, and regarded Aléxandros with her turquoise gaze. "Well, that just sucks majorly. You can't hate anyone Nexus knew, even…even, if they did something terrible…?"

Zoe rolled her eyes irritably. "That's what just he said—have you not been standing here for the last five minutes, or what?" She folded her arms across her chest, before shifting around agitatedly. "Now, are you guys going to continue this rousing game of 21 questions, or are you gonna let him get the hell out of here?"

Stephanie opened her mouth to say something—anything; she just wanted to know more than he was telling her—when Katie put on a hand on her shoulder, and, just with the worried look in her almond eyes, was she able to communicate,

'Whatever you have to tell him can wait. We have to go.'

"But—" The daughter of Apollo frowned, before tossing a questing glance to Atlanta, (who—not wanting to encourage her—did not return it) for backup she knew she wasn't going to get. To keep frown lines from etching into her face, Stephanie schooled her expression the best she could, before conceding with a melodramatic shoulder shrug.

Alex offered her a toothy, Colgate smile (and desperately resisted the urge to teasingly ruffle her dirty-blonde hair, at the defeated look that was painted on her lightly freckled face) before bidding the whole group farewell. "Remember kids; don't talk to strangers." He joked.

"Remember, old man, to make it back in one piece. We'll be at the Laundromat; trying to get our clothes back—do remember that; when you're picking your dignity off my dad's bedroom's floor." Matthew countered.

Zoe would have howled with laughter, just to make Aléxandros mad, if not for her inability to like anything that spilled forth from Matthew's mouth. She gave him a pitiful 'heh' of a laugh, instead—but, it wasn't like he cared for her input, anyhow.

Katie sent a glare in Matthew's direction (that was so heated, that, if she was Hephaestus' daughter, would have been hot enough to singe off his eyebrows—among other things,) before swiftly chiding him.

Phrases like: 'don't talk to him like that!' and 'he can defend himself. Gods know how old he is; he doesn't need you white-knighting for him, all the time!' flying between the two demigods, and it was all the others could do not to bury their faces into their palms.

Matthew didn't seem to get along with anyone, for long.

Alex—growing tired of the arguing and antsy; because he was late to his and Apollo's appointment—sighed and scrubbed his face with the back of his hand, before abruptly vanishing.

Like before, it was a surreal experience for his charges.

Teleportation, they came to realize, wasn't like something from an episode of Star Trek; where one just phased out and their particles went with them in a clean, and completely safe beam.

No, instead, it had to be something that seemed horribly unsafe and daft—because, everything that involved the gods seemed to be horribly unsafe and completely daft.

Instead of the godling pulling a Houdini, and just disappearing into mid-air—no, he had to go and tear the surrounding air into two gaping halves, and from the hole came a strong gust of wind (that almost knocked them all down) that, after a few minutes, went from blowing frigid squalls outwards in a wide wave, to pulling and sucking in a cylindrical tunnel like the universe's strongest vacuum-cleaner.

It was as if someone flicked a switch, because the drastic change wasn't, at all, natural.

It was needless to say that, if Aléxandros couldn't keep himself from being pulled into the huge gash in the friggin' universe (if you want to call it that, like Zoe did) the demigods were powerless against its strong pull, as well.

Sobs and shouts of absolute terror resounded through the space, as the demigods were sucked through the blankness.

It felt like a whole agglomeration of horrid sensations; traveling through the void. There was the breathless feeling usually felt only felt when on a rollercoaster—like, gravity was trying to pull them back to Terra Firma, by using what little breath they had in their lungs like pulley-hooks.

If one thing was sure; if they didn't already have a migraine that bring Atlas to his knees, than they would surely be writhing in absolute agony from the skull-splitting headache that would surely come on, due to lack of oxygen to their brains.

Aside from the pain in their lungs and skulls; there was the more bearable, (but wholly irritating) discomfort of their stomachs doing flips, cartwheels, and other such acrobatics. It was like combining the overwhelming nausea that was induced when Atlanta was driving the Sun Chariot recklessly through Illinois, and the head spinning 'I-think-I-totally-threw-up' feeling that came when Alex bailed from behind the wheel of the same cherry red vehicle, and sent it plunging to the ground at a steep angle.

In short, physically, traveling with Aléxandros through this wormhole (or whatever the hell it was!) was the worst experience that any human—or half-human... Demigod, if you will—could ever have the misfortune of experiencing.

It was a miracle that no one died; when they finally made it to the destination Alex set for them.

Katie's face burned, and blood pounded loudly in her ears, as she narrowly avoided face planting into the cold blacktop by throwing her hands out at the last minute to catch herself. Her wrist throbbed at her weight, but that didn't even hold a candle to the pain she felt when her palms smacked into the hard, unyielding asphalt. Hissing, the brunette felt her whole body give a violent shudder, before she threw up on the street.

When she finished, (for the moment) the pounding in her ears grew louder than ever, before quieting down just as quickly as it started, so that the daughter of Victory could listen to the sounds of her companions emptying the contents of their stomachs, as well.

Retching violently, as she heard what was sure to be gooey, warm fluid splashing onto the parking lot ground; Katie couldn't stop herself from puking again.

If the demigods hadn't been getting sick all over the underground parking lot they were in, they would have known that the Sun Chariot was just a few floors above them—being towed away.

* * *

><p>When Matthew roused from his unwanted slumber, he was being sprayed by a cold jet of water. Sputtering uncharacteristically, the son of Apollo cursed aloud, before forcing his stiff body into action.<p>

Since his eyes hadn't adjusted yet, Matthew had to work on pure instinct alone. Lunging at whomever had dared to spray him with a high pressure hose; the brunette got as far as standing on his feet, before he was roughly grabbed by two pairs of strong hands and forced against the hood of a Police cruiser.

Grunting as his arms were forced behind his back, the demigod kicked and resisted the cops (who were moments away from trying to handcuff him) and ignored their warnings that if he continued to struggle, they would taze him.

"Friggin' bastard! Let. Me. Go!" He growled, his hazy green eyes finally adjusting to the light well-enough for him to make out his surroundings and the pristine white of the NYPD's cruiser's hood.

The cop holding him down went on to tell him his rights, and Matthew grimaced at the thought of being arrested. Thanks a crap load, Aléxandros, for dumping us onto city property, the son of Apollo thought sourly, as he felt the cold burn of handcuffs being attached to his wrists.

"Everything you say can and will be used—" The law enforcer interrupted himself, with a strange gurgle sound, before he fell onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Matthew blinked in confusion, before sitting up (whilst groaning in discomfort at the way his stiff joints creaked and popped) and turned around to see what the hell just happened.

Before him lay several unconscious police officers; all of whom had a demigod leaning over them to check their vitals. Once Atlanta nodded that the last cop was still very much alive, all of the demigods legged it to the cruiser Matthew was leaning against, and motioned the brunette to get in, before they all piled in and took off.

They were only a few blocks away from the parking garage, when Kyle suggested that they ditch the police car someplace; just in case the NYPD decided to come looking for its missing car.

They decided to dump it in a MacDonald's parking lot, and while they did that, all of them noted with muted horror, that there was a tow truck just a few streets away with the Sun Chariot hitched on the back of it.

"WHY THE HELL IS IT BEING TOWED?" Zoe shouted, as she clambered out of the passenger's seat of the police car. Her raven colored tresses bounced with the wild movement of her head, and her onyx orbs burned with frustration, when she realized that neither she, nor her companions, could stop the tow truck from taking their ride.

Atlanta groaned with the same intensity, before scrubbing her face with her hands. "We'll just have to wait 'til it gets to the auto-pound... until then—gods, I need a drink."

Stephanie scowled at her cousin's words, "No you want coffee... Besides, it's only—" she broke off to quickly peeked into the cruiser to check the time; and when she saw that it was 11pm, her scowled deepened. "Actually, you know what; I think I need a drink, too."

"You're not old enough to drink, Steph." Katie reminded the daughter of Apollo, as the demigods set off down the street, (they weren't going anywhere in particular—but, it was probably best to seek out a hotel, though; since, they would have to wait until the morning to get Apollo's car back.)

"Yeah, well, I'm not old enough to drive—but, I do that, too." Stephanie replied nonchalantly, as she and Katie picked up their pace to catch up with Kyle and Atlanta, (who were walking in the front of the group.)

Once the two half-bloods were in hearing range of Kyle and Atlanta, they could hear the two of them plotting out how they were going to spend the rest of the night. "We need to find a hotel—preferably one with a bar." The daughter of Artemis reasoned, the volume of her voice growing louder when she realized she and Kyle were being listened-in on. Digging her hands in her pockets and rolling her head on her shoulders, she glanced behind herself at her younger semi-divine companions.

Kyle nodded in vague agreement, as he turned his head up at the night sky. Typical of the sky in the city; he could hardly make out any of the stars—but, for the ones he could see, they looked beautiful; standing out from the bold shades of blacks and cobalt, with their pale iridescent forms that glimmered like one of Arachne's best webs in the sunlight. The moon was full and volumes brighter than the stars, and its seasonal red-hue seemed to make it larger than it was supposed to be.

Without even looking, the son of Nyx could tell that Atlanta's eyes looked just like the celestial body above; ocher, vermilion and silver, all swirled into one wraith-like shade. Her eyes, like his, no longer were just one color—really; they were no longer what mortal doctors would constitute as normal, functional human eyes...

Kyle briefly wondered, if Atlanta realized just how special her new eyes were; her ocular perception was almost immeasurable to even the best animals on earth, (such as eagles, and great horned owls) but promptly shut down that train of thought, when Zoe appeared at his side, and started asking just how the hell they were going to get a room, if they didn't have any money.

"The car's been towed, and all of our crap was in the trunk—so, unless you guys've got some cash tucked away in those skin-tight jeans; we might as well find a comfortable bench in the park to sleep on." The daughter of Hades deduced, patting herself down to prove she didn't have any money on her.

"My jeans are not skin tight." Sky deadpanned, redness creeping up her neck, as she tugged her shirt down over her back pockets. "And these were the only ones' I could find near my size."

Matthew's eyes lit up with mischief, as he gave each of his female companions the once-over. Scoffing when he noted that, yes, Sky's pants did fit a little too snuggly, he said, "The view isn't half-bad."

The daughter of the Winds balked, "Well—nobody asked you... you creep!" her words lacked their usual bite, but she more than made up for that when she started raving about Matthew's lack of shame—to which he replied with nasty remarks about her lack of modesty... and, ultimately, they started arguing and ridiculing one another for petty things.

Stephanie caught Atlanta by the elbow, when the redhead made to lunge for the bickering pair. "No, not here—" She warned, gesturing to the passersby and onlookers that were watching Sky and Matthew (and commenting about them) from afar.

Katie (in response to all the madness) hid her face behind her hands, and picked up a brisk pace to get away from the commotion. The daughter of Victory; along with Kyle, Atlanta and Stephanie stayed shame-faced the entire walk to the nearest (and cheapest) motel they could find.

When they approached the door of 'Palace Heights', Matthew was complaining about Sky's snoring ("I don't NOT snore!" the daughter of the Winds screeched indignantly; her arms waving so violently, it could count as flailing.) Atlanta had had quite enough.

Swearing in every language she could think of (and some she didn't even know she knew) to the sky above, the auburnette turned her glowing gaze unto her cousin and friend, and told them with a hard-edged voice. "If we go in there; and you guys continue to even look at each other—I swear, I'll go to jail!" Atlanta hissed like a cobra that was ready to strike, "I just don't know what the hell I'm going to do; if I have to put up with anymore of you guys' bitching and complaining."

There was a young couple on their way to the Palace Heights—exchanging sweet words with their hands interlaced—but, when they saw Atlanta pointing accusingly between Matthew and Sky, and swearing like it was going out of style, they turned on their heels and made a beeline back to their car.

The daughter of Artemis was red in the face, by time she was done, and Katie had to pat her on the back to get her to start breathing regularly.

"As much as I hate to say it—Hunter's right..." Zoe offered, kicking a stray bottle of alcohol that rolled by her feet, hard enough to send it flying across the street. When it broke on the adjacent sidewalk, the ravenette continued to say, "If you haven't noticed by now, the friggin' sexual tension between you two is palpable—" A comically disgusted face, and a hand gesture (reminiscent of Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in Ghost) finished her statement with a humorous flourish.

Katie laughed aloud, (despite not wanting to get on Sky's bad side) before catching herself and furrowing her brows at the daughter of Hades, "Well, you know that the same goes for you and Kyle."

The son of Nyx choked at Katie's words; a shocked expression slipping through his usual calm facade, and he almost dropped the heavy haversack on his shoulder, as he started coughing painfully loud.

Zoe started cursing at the daughter of Victory, and squawking some half-truths about the budding relationship between her and Kyle. Whenever she stopped to reflect on this, (so she could decide whether she should, or shouldn't put it in her diary) Zoe would have to admit that she was overreacting.

At the smug look on Katie's face, Zoe almost wanted to choke her, but decided against it, when Kyle recovered from his choking-fit and drudged on inside of the hotel with his head hung slightly in not-too-carefully hidden embarrassment.

Staring at Kyle's retreating form, Zoe wondered... _were they really that obvious?_

"Since the moment you first met each other." Stephanie said, right on cue—as if she was reading Zoe's mind. "Either you guys have always been dating, (in some kind of way) or you're just really, _really_ close." The fondness in her emerald eyes was unfamiliar—something that the daughter of Hades hadn't seen directed at her since they were friends—and, it was almost frightening to see that look in her eyes.

Zoe shrugged off her shock and the tugging feeling in her chest, "Screw off, Anderson."

The disdain and perpetually offended look donned once again on Stephanie's face, "Likewise, Hutton." and, with that, conversation time was over. Everyone followed Kyle's lead, and entered Palace Heights with their heads hung, and their shoulders slouched.

* * *

><p>When they entered the hotel, there was only one thing on everyone's mind. <em>Why did it smell so damned bad?<em> It was like a cross between moldy bread, boiled eggs and sweaty gym socks blanked by a plume of cheap air fresher that was supposed to smell like lavender.

Atlanta scrunched her face up; but resisted the urge to cover her nose with her arm—just in case the receptionist took offense to that. (After all, they wouldn't want to be turned away from probably the one place in New York that would have them.)

Kyle was sitting in one of the two rickety armchairs that were decorated with tacky, purple and green floral printed cushions, looking downright queasy as he waited for the receptionist to look up from her cellphone, and realize that she actually had some guests.

The lobby as a whole wasn't too bad—aside from the putrid odor. Sure, the plum colored carpet was black from all the dirt accumulated on the surface, and the paint was peeling from the wood paneled walls—that could all be looked passed, when one realized that it was either this place, or Central park.

Ignoring the crude landscape paintings; that seemed to have been bought at a garage sale, and looked like they were going to fall off the walls, Katie took the empty seat by Kyle and tried her best to get comfortable; despite the fact that springs were digging into her legs and back. "So, have we figured out how we're going to pay for this?" She asked him, as she wiggled in discomfort.

Kyle nodded, and before he could elaborate, the other demigods swarmed him—eagerly awaiting his answer. The ravenette was relatively unfazed, and went on to tell them, "This bag has more than toiletries in it." Lifting the rucksack onto his lap, (and almost immediately cringing at the weight of it) he unzipped the hefty piece of luggage and reached inside of it. It only took a few moments of digging around inside, for him to locate and pull out a wallet. It was threadbare, the leather was flaking off, and not to mention, it was brimming with cash.

Without provocation, Zoe snatched the wallet from Kyle's grasp, and folded it open so she could see just how much was in it. Her onyx eyes widened with genuine shock as she took it all in. Aléxandros apparently came prepared; because, there were credit cards in every holder, and each of them were new and in pristine condition. Inside the main pocket of the wallet was every kind of currency the demigods could think of; Yen, Pounds, Euro… you name it, it was in there. And in total, they had atleast seven grand.

The others gaped at the money too, and soon, Zoe found herself wallet-less; because Katie wanted a better look at it—and more importantly, its contents.

When the wallet had been passed around several times for everyone to see, (and raid) Sky found herself holding four one hundred dollar bills in her hand. "If we've had all this money this entire freakin' time—whyhaven't we been staying in better places?" She asked glancing between the money in her hand and the money in everyone else's'.

"How the _hell _did all this fit?" Zoe asked, as she lined her pockets with some of the smaller bills.

Katie shrugged, and almost jumped out of her skin, when the bell on the reception desk rung and caught her off-guard. In the almost-vacant atrium, the warbling sound echoed ominously.

"Welcome to Palace Heights; party of seven." The receptionist said dryly, after ringing the bell a few more times. While it was no surprise that she noticed them, (they weren't exactly _whispering_, after all) it was still a little unnerving that she was greeting them—and that she knew how many of them were there—without even looking up from the screen of her mobile.

Atlanta was suspicious of the woman behind the counter, (thinking that maybe it was a trap; and maybe Nárkissa had found them) but when the woman who was enraptured by her phone looked up and regarded them with tired brown eyes, the daughter of Artemis let her mistrust fade.

"It's late, and I want to go home, so if you guys are checking in, you'd best hurry it up." The woman said, after a few moments of awkward silence, as she turned off her phone and tucked it in her back pocket.

Matthew shrugged, before retrieving a credit card from Aléxandros' wallet, "Three rooms." He said without hesitation, as he handed the card off.

The woman (who upon closer inspection looked no older than Atlanta; with her spiky black and pink hair, NickelBack t-shirt, and multiple eyebrow piercings) nodded, before thanking him noncommittally for choosing Palace Heights, and giving him three keycards. "Room 301 has two beds and a roll-out couch. Room 302 has a double bed. And room 303 has one bed and a roll-out. Have a good night." She informed, yawning, as she began packing her things up for the evening.

Matthew didn't thank her—instead, put his back to her, and handed Atlanta 302's key, "You're sharing with Stephanie." He explained, before giving Zoe the key to 301, "You're with Airhead and Katie. Try not to kill them." Sky's eyebrow twitched at her newly acquired nickname. "I'm bunking with Kyle." With that having been settled, all of the demigods (expect Atlanta) skulked down the hall to their rooms.

The daughter of Artemis waited until the receptionist (whose nametag initially read, "_TimzIey M_."—but, after proper inspection, Atlanta realized her name was "_Tinsley N_.") looked up from her things, before asking, "Do you have a bar?"

* * *

><p>Atlanta wasn't a drinker by any means—hell, she hated liquor, under normal circumstances—but, tonight, (damn it) she was going to <em>have<em> to acquaint herself with Jack Daniels and company, if she was going to get any sleep.

Leaning carefully against the bar to avoid getting splinters in her arms and hands, the redhead ordered a bottle of Jack and a shot glass. (What, she wasn't going to drink the whole thing in one sitting. That's absurd!)

The bartender didn't say anything, as he went under the counter to retrieve the glass and bottle, and the daughter of Artemis was thankful for that. She didn't need anyone getting on her back tonight. She was too stressed for conversation.

When Atlanta knocked back the first shot, any thought of taking other one vanished. Her eyes stung, her throat dried out, and she found herself coughing loudly. Drinking in real life definitely wasn't as cool as it looked in the movies. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand—and then with a napkin, that the bartender offered her—the redhead caught her breath.

"You okay?" Stephanie asked, as she slid onto the neighboring barstool, and gestured for the bartender to get her a glass. He eyed her suspiciously—knowing full-well that she wasn't the legal age to be drinking—and went on to get her a full-sized cup.

Atlanta nodded, clearing her throat and wiping her eyes with her forearm. "Yeah," She replied shortly after, her voice wavering slightly.

The two of them were enveloped in silence, as Stephanie uncapped a sprite and poured its contents into her cup. "So much for getting drunk off your ass," The daughter of Apollo joked, before sipping some of her soda.

Atlanta had to stop herself from laughing, just in case she tried to choke again. Listening to Stephanie chuckle at her joke; the daughter of Artemis leaned against the bar, and refilled her tumbler with Jack. Sighing, she picked up the glass, and stared at the brown liquid inside. "Do you think Luke would still be here, with us, if I stayed with him?" Her voice quavered just a bit, as she continued to swirl her drink.

The daughter of Apollo sprayed her sprite onto the cheap countertop, at Atlanta's question. _Way to pitch a ball straight out of left field, _the honey-haired demigoddess thought, as she waved off the bartender, when he tried to give her a napkin. (_"Damn kids can't hold their drinks." He grunted in response, as he wiped the counter off._)

How was she supposed to answer a question like that? Either way, regardless of her response—whether Stephanie told her cousin what she _wanted_ to hear; or what she _needed_to hear—the auburnette would take grave offense and shut down; opting not to talk to her for long periods of time.

In the times when Stephanie (or anyone else, for that matter) wasn't wise enough to leave well enough alone, she would have walked into the trap that Atlanta had laid, and ended up saying something that sent the older demigoddess into a furious fit of tears.

"I miss him, Annie." Atlanta admitted, hanging her head. Her hair fell onto her face, like a red velvet sheet, and hid the tears that were threatening to spill over her waterline, like a privacy curtain over a window.

Stephanie felt her heartstrings being tugged. The only people who called her Annie, was her mother, and, well _him_—(she wasn't even going to think of his name.)—_Gods, how much did Atlanta have to drink? _Green eyes flickered with anguish and curiosity, as the daughter of Apollo tried to get a better look at her cousin's bottle of Jack. It was mostly full, so, she couldn't have had more than that one shot. _So, why was she spilling her heart out?_

Opening her mouth, Stephanie tried to find something to say to cheer the daughter of Artemis up. _"I know it's hard, but, things always get better?" _That was the dumbest statement the honey-haired girl had ever heard; especially after having it said to her, (by her own mother, no less) when she almost failed the fifth grade.

_"It's better to have loved and lost; than never to have loved at all?" _Hmm… that might work, after all, a little Tennyson never hurt anybody... then again; Atlanta might think she's being condescending.

The last time Stephanie tried something like that, the daughter of Artemis told her "_that she wouldn't know anything about loving someone, because she was never in love_," and then proceeded to kick her out of the vacant cabin #8.

Stephanie still felt a little offended every time she thought of that day; because, despite what everyone thought, she had been in love before—she just didn't run around making a big deal about it, like Zoe and Kyle... or Percy and Annabeth.

Pursing her lips, as she pulled herself out of her thoughts, the honey-haired semi-divine noticed that, not only was Atlanta still muttering things about Luke under her breath, but she had managed to empty her glass of liquor.

Sighing, Stephanie decided it was high time to say something. _But, what_—_? _She'd have to improvise. "Death can't stop true love—but, it can delay it for a little while." Noticing the unpleased expression on Atlanta's face, the daughter of Apollo quickly defended her statement, "What, I thought it was relevant!"

"You might as well have not said anything at all, if you're going to quote the Princess Bride..." Atlanta deadpanned, leaving her tumbler on the counter, in favor of drinking straight from the bottle.

Stephanie frowned before putting her elbows on the bar, and resting her head in the cradle of her hands. _Love hurts_... and, it definitely afflicted more than its fair share of abuse to Atlanta; because, she was drinking at a quarter passed Midnight; despite her knowing that she would wake up with a killer hangover in the morning.

Staring as Atlanta gulped from the bottle, Stephanie wondered if that's what she would have been, if she had let her relationship (if it could've been called that) with a _boy_back at camp progress. Feeling a pang in her chest, a part of her admitted to being just as torn up as her cousin, about lost love—she was just in the 'denial' stage, instead of the 'depression' stage about it. It helped that she didn't talk about her ex-boyfriend, like Atlanta (or anyone else) did.

Resolving not to get all misty-eyed and angry about the past, Stephanie wrestled the bottle of Jack from Atlanta. "We're not going to do this, we're going to bed." She said sternly, as she reached forward to pull her cousin out of her seat.

"Why're you guys leaving? I just got here." Sky almost pouted, as she slid into the remaining barstool.

"What're you doing out of bed?" Stephanie and Atlanta chorused, (though, the latter's speech was a helluva lot more incoherent, so it sounded more like "_Wha'ra in' outt'h bed?_") as they stared at the daughter of the Winds.

Sky was dressed in a baggy pair of pale blue, checkered pajamas that the girls could only assume she snagged from Aléxandros' bag. "I got the couch—" she frowned, twirling a lock of her hair idly between her fingers. "It's lumpy and smells like mold and wet dogs had a party on it, and then threw up—which, might I say, isn't good for my allergies."

"You don't have allergies, Sky." Stephanie reminded her, as she settled uncomfortably on the stool, once more. _Well, so much for getting Atlanta to bed_.

The redhead grinned, before stealing Stephanie's half-full bottle of soda. "But, if I did... that couch would've killed me." Gulping the drink down like her life depended on it, Sky sighed contently. "Besides, Zoe's not asleep, and she keeps drilling me about _Little Miss Sunshine_."

Atlanta laid her head on the shabby counter, as she tried to get the room (or her head) to stop spinning. "Yah' mean tah moovee?" She slurred, blinking hazily at Sky—whose hair, for some reason, looked to be on fire... _or maybe it was just, really, really, red?_

"No, I think she means Matthew." Stephanie explained, as she reached out to rub comforting circles on Atlanta's shoulder. Poor thing looked like she was going to puke on the counter. As if they hadn't tossed their cookies enough on this trip already.

"Yeah, I'm talking about Matthew. He's such an asshole—oh crap, sorry!" Through her rage, Sky knocked Atlanta's tumbler off the counter, and sent it tumbling to the floor. Apologizing to the bartender, (who grumbled, and just _walked _out without saying anything) when the glass shattered loudly on the floor, the demigoddess turned as red as her hair, and plopped down in her seat.

Out of respect for her friend's feelings, Stephanie didn't joke about her excessive arm movements; instead she decided to stay on the topic of Matthew. "I understand why everyone has a hard time getting on with him—I mean, I'm his half-sister, and I can't stand him at times—but, these days, why do you especially hate him?"

"What do you mean; _why do I especially hate him_?" Sky furrowed her brows.

Atlanta sat up enough to rest her chin on her folded arms. "Why do you get into ar-gu-ments with him, every time you're in the same room? Zoe will wait to be pro-voked. You shout at him for just breathing." Her speech was clearer, but as a result she talked alot slower than usual.

The younger redhead balked, "I don't yell at him for breathing—and what was with that crap about sexual tension, earlier?"

"Don't get all upset, Sky..." Stephanie giggled, "You guys would make a cute couple."

Sky glared outright at the daughter of Apollo's joke. "Isn't that what the rest of us said about you and AJ—what happened to you two? He left camp without a word to anyone, and hasn't been back since." She snapped, before standing up and storming off in a huff.

Stephanie blinked; absolutely thunderstruck that her friend would dare say _his_ name—let alone, throw it in her face that he was gone. Turning to Atlanta with a look that belonged to child who had been told that Christmas was canceled, the honey-haired girl blinked some more.

"I think we should get going." The daughter of Artemis reasoned, as she noted the shimmer in her cousin's eyes.

* * *

><p>The night went relatively well, after that. Everyone found sleep with unusual ease, and slept like a coma patients when their heads touched their pillow—or cushion, if they got the couch.<p>

So, when the sun arose and filtered through the thick, floral curtains of room 301, Katie was surprised that she even woke up. Slumber had come so effortlessly to her; settling into her bones like heavy cement, and relaxing her muscles until they were like wimpy spaghetti noodles. And yet, as she sat up in bed and yawned, she felt none of that—her muscles felt fine; better than they had ever felt, and her bones felt as light as ever before. The only lingering sensation she felt, was that of well-rest.

Running a hand through loose brunette tresses, Katie yawned again (this time more quietly), before sliding from under the soft white bed linens and getting ready to start the day.

Flicking on the bathroom light, the daughter of Nike frowned. The bathroom wasn't too out of shape—it just looked lived-in, is all—but, the friggin' shower curtain was missing. Whose bright idea was it, to take it out?

Turning on the bath, Katie emptied two bottles of complimentary shampoo into the tub, and removed her gunky clothing. Sinking into the warm, sudsy water, when the tub was almost filled to the brim, the brunette sighed. _This was the second most relaxing thing she got to do on the entire trip_, she grinned, wetting her hair up.

Katie was completely blissed out, as she sat in the tub for several minutes, and was poised to slip into unconsciousness, once more—until Zoe burst through the door with a shout, "Hey, we've gotta be somewhere, get dressed." Her obsidian and orange-striped hair was wild and sticking out in every which direction. Staring down at Katie with onyx eyes that were surprisingly awake, the daughter of Hades startled when she noticed just how _undressed_ the brunette was. Covering her eyes with the back of her hand, Zoe turned her back to Katie. "Geez, let it all hang out, why don'tcha."

Katie gaped. "What do you expect? I'm in the bathtub!" Covering her modesty with her tresses, the daughter of Nike lifted her legs to her chest started gesturing for Zoe to leave. Of course, the ravenette couldn't see, her, so she had to resort to shouting, "_Get out!_"

The noise they made caused Sky to wake up. Standing in the doorway with her clothes wrinkled and hanging off her body, and her chin slicked with drool, the demigoddess stared numbly at them. She didn't seem as well-rested as Katie or Zoe—but, that was probably because she didn't rouse from her slumber on her own.

_"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"_ Katie shouted, grabbing one of the empty shampoo bottles and lobbing it at the Sky, (it hit the door, instead.) "GET OUT! I can't get dressed with an audience!"

* * *

><p>The shouting carried on from 301 to 303, and by time everyone was decent, checked out, and entering the threshold of the Laundromat; it was no secret to the whole group, that Zoe had walked in on Katie's bath.<p>

"It's not like she's got anything I've never seen before." The daughter of Hades scowled, as she tucked herself further into her sweater. Why everyone thought it was so funny, she just couldn't understand.

"Whether you've seen it or not, isn't the problem. It's that you've seen _her, _that is." Stephanie explained, as she plopped into one of the waiting chairs, as Atlanta and Katie went off to find and reclaim their clothes. (Hmm… whatever happens to overdue clothing in a Laundromat?)

Zoe's scowled deepened. "She's not so special." She folded her arms over her chest.

Matthew couldn't resist the opportunity to champ the daughter of Hades' hide. "So, she shouldn't be mad, that you got to second base with her, with your eyes?"

The daughter of Hades already had a comeback ready, but Sky beat her to it, by shouting, "WHAT!" and gawking at Matthew like he'd grown a second head and a pair of hooves for hands.

"I can't say I'm not jealous." The son of Apollo whistled, just to further infuriate Sky, before taking off toward the chairs on the other side of the room.

"_FREAK—SPAZ—PERVERT!_" The daughter of the Winds shouted after him; stamping her foot in outrage, when she ran out of hurtful words to say.

When Katie and Atlanta returned with a sealed bag of their clothing, the tiny brunette no longer wore the blush of embarrassment. She had apparently gotten over it. "What's wrong with her?" The daughter of Nike asked, noting Sky's violent-looking floundering, as she held the pack tightly to her chest.

"She's flirting…" Kyle joked weakly, and almost immediately regretted his words—because, the redhead started screeching at him like a bat out of hell. Plugging his ears with his hands, the son of Nyx sighed. _It was better when she was screaming at Matthew_.

The demigods stayed in the Laundromat for a little while longer, waiting for Aléxandros, but when an hour passed and turned into two—three and a half; they gave up and left. He'd be able to find them. He had before.

* * *

><p>The late-morning crawled agonizingly slow into the afternoon, as Atlanta had them running from place to place (a café for brunch, the police department for a release form, and then, finally, the NYPD impound lot) and most of the demigods were glad to be off their feet, when they arrived inside the air conditioned lobby, and were asked to take a seat, while Officer Gordon—a middle-aged man with a patch of hair on his head and glasses; who stood behind the front desk—confirmed that the release form was valid.<p>

They all sank into their own comfortable armchair, and waited until Gordon called Atlanta back up; striking up tense, heavily-coded conversations to pass the time.

When the officer finally said, "Ms. Hunter," and motioned her to the counter, once more, the semi-divines didn't even try to hold back their sighs of relief. It was only temporary, however, because Gordon started asking the daughter of Artemis for her driver's license, the original vehicle registration stub, the vehicle's valid Insurance Card; and then, finally, the Vehicle Release form.

It took every ounce of Atlanta's self-respect to keep from floundering and freaking out about not having most of the required documentation.

The be-speckled behind the desk stared at the markswoman, as she fidgeted her license in her hands, for a few long moments, before his expression went from understandingly furrowed, to dazed and stone-faced. His eyes looked glazed over behind the lenses of his glasses, and Atlanta knew that look from anywhere.

Turning around quickly, she almost hit Aléxandros with her shoulder; he was standing so close behind her. "Where the hell were you?" She asked hotly, as the brunette reached passed her, and handed the hypnotized Gordon a blank piece of paper.

"Officer," The godling smiled, ignoring Atlanta's question, in favor of telling Gordon to go into the back and not come out until they left, (as if, the mortal knew when they would leg it out of there.)

When the man left, Alex ushered the demigods to follow him through a side door. "We're behind schedule."Was all he said, when they looked him sideways.

As per usual, when the child of Zeus kept them out of the loop, the semi-divines fretted and chewed him out; but, Aléxandros could put up with their pestering and heated words, as they had reclaimed the Sun Chariot and were on their way to Louisiana.

"Atleast tell us why you were late?" Katie pleaded, as she pawed at the driver's seat that Alex was lounging in. They were right hesitant to let him drive; but, when he glared with those irate, lightning color eyes of his, and muttered vicious curses in his native tongue, they would be dead-and-foolish to tell him no.

"I assume you got stuck in traffic." Stephanie supplied; frowning slightly, as she started scratching her arm irritably, after the fleece sleeve of Zoe's shirt rubbed against her arm. _Gah,_ _why was she sitting so close?_

Alex pursed his lips, as he turned a thought over in his head. Should he tell them? Well, as the saying goes; _it's either now, or never__. _Sighing, he looked up at the rearview mirror and regarded those sitting in the back with calculated eyes. "You guys remember when I told you that those like me (the remaining pieces of Nexus) were put to sleep?" He started small, hoping to ease them all into what he was about to reveal.

"Yeah, you guys were scattered across the world. What's this have to do with you being late?" Sky asked, avoiding Atlanta's elbow, as the older redhead riffled through her backpack to make sure everything she packed was still in it.

Matthew glowered at the daughter of the Winds' impatience. "If you'd let him finish, he'll tell you."

"Knock it the hell off," Zoe warned, brandishing her Stygian dagger in the tiny space—and almost taking Aléxandros'eye out in the process.

Moving away just in time, the child of Zeus surveyed the ravenette carefully, before straightening in his seat and continuing, "And, as you know, myself and Nárkissa are awake…" Aléxandros drummed on the steering wheel, as he chose his next words carefully. "And, I'm sure that, if you know that, then you can safely assume that we aren't the only ones walking the earth."

"Your point—can you get to it, anytime soon?" Zoe asked, as she ran her fingers along the ridges and indents on her blade.

Alex refrained from trying to bite her head off. He should've been used to her rudeness. This wasn't the first time she interrupted him. Maybe he was just antsy to tell them what was on his mind—it didn't help that he's been on edge since his visit to Olympus. The brunette chewed on his lip for a minute,"…well, what I'm trying to get at is—well, I fear that we aren't going to be the last ones awakened."

"Do you think Nárkissa is going to try and raise the others? But, why—I mean, wouldn't she try to absorb them?" Atlanta asked, as she searched out the Chap Stick that sat at the bottom of her bag.

Aléxandros sighed—_this was it_. "Nárkissa would—Nárkissa would have sensed me in the diner, back in Wisconsin, and tried to end me there. What we're facing, I'm afraid to say, isn't Nárkissa—not fully, anyways."

"So, you're saying that she's possessed?" Kyle probed, leaning more forward, so that he could hear Alex over the noise that the other semi-divines made at the revelation.

The car grew incredibly quiet—so much so, that they could hear the wind whooshing passed the window—as they waited for the godling's response. His lack thereof was all the answer they needed; but, somehow, they thought it better to the words from his mouth, indeed.

"Yes…" Aléxandros breathed out, after a whole while. "And whomever it is that possesses her, is stronger than just your average individual. Because—well, you remember when I talked about that bloodlust? That overwhelming need to become one that washes over all the pieces of Nexus, whenever we're near each other...? Yeah, well, whoever is running around in her meat-suit is strong enough to resist that urge."

"—how strong?" Stephanie was starting to worry that (Aléxandros was right) it wasn't just some random supernatural—that perhaps, it was a titan…? Because, you know how many _fun_ memories their grand-(and great-grand)-parents brought on. _Wars and whatnot_; good times, those were.

The godling clinched the wheel tighter than he should have. "I don't know—and I'm not supposed to. I was given the task of killing her by any means necessary; not diagnosing her power level."

"They sent you out on a friggin' suicide mission!" Zoe exclaimed. "And you had to bring us along for the ride. Damn it!"

By now, everyone had that same thought on their mind.

Aléxandros frowned. Yup, they took that was well, as he thought they would. _Not well at all_. "Don't despair, my friends, as I also have good news—for once." He said dramatically, as he tried to conceal his frazzled nerves. Damn, before he absorbed some of Jessup's life-force; he never had anxieties. "Nexus had allies—remember? What's hers' is mine, and I intend to exploit that technicality. I've been gathering Intel from those _helpful_ associates—and on the occasion that I can't; (because, I'm babysitting you guys) I have Andromeda do it for me."

Katie pulled a face, not sure that she heard correctly "Andromeda…? Like the daughter of Aphrodite, back at camp—?"

Alex nodded, somewhat relieved that the demigods were no longer freaking out about Nárkissa—for the moment. "Yup… apparently, she's more than just a pretty face and perfectly manicured nails. Andie has been looking into the potential raising of the other pieces of Nexus—and, while I'm morose to think that Nárkissa's, for whatever reason, actually been searching them out; Andie's been keeping me_ well_ informed." A smile ghosted on the godling's face, "It's a good thing you didn't kill her, Stephanie; she's been super helpful."

The daughter of Apollo blushed. "I wouldn't have killed her! If she did get hit—it would just have taken her eye."

"You act as if being blinded is better." Atlanta grumbled, suddenly thinking about Jessup. _Where was he during all of this?_ Aléxandros said he would be alright, until the godling returned—but, if Nárkissa was truly as powerful and possessed as they speculated; and if she was searching for the resting places of Nexus' pieces, what if she…? Wait... no—Atlanta won't even entertain the thought that the young son of Hermes was in danger. The daughter of Artemis scrunched her face up, and decided to put the thought of Jessup out of her mind completely.

* * *

><p>Conversation flowed freely, after that; the demigods bouncing ideas off Alex, and each other about Andromeda and her reconnaissance expedition, Nárkissa—eventually, they got on the topic of the next two trials, and by then, they had finally arrived in Louisiana.<p>

After an hour and a half of trying to remember the vague directions he was given by the less than cooperative god of War and goddess of Wisdom, Aléxandros found the National World War II Museum. Another half hour later (and almost-fight in the parking lot) they found a space to park the Sun Chariot, without risk of it getting towed again.

When they clambered out of the cherry red vehicle, Sky stretched and slung her bag over her shoulder. "You know, back at the hotel, I looked this place up online… It costs twenty four dollars per person to get access to the Museum and Theater."

Katie grimaced, as she slipped her shoes back on. Looking up at the building, she asked, "Geez, why's it so expensive?"

Aléxandros smiled, "It doesn't matter—we're going in the '_free'_way."

They had no idea what he meant by the 'free' way, but they soon found out—he teleported them (_teleported_ them after what happened _last time_) to a vacant hallway. The walls were worn, but the linoleum on the floor shone like it had been recently polished.

Zoe's face got well-acquainted with the polished floor, when she appeared in the corridor that was suddenly filling with people. Sullenly, she sat up and rubbed her throbbing cheek and forehead. "I'm gonna kill you, when this is over, Alex!" She exclaimed, as Kyle helped her to his feet.

"Thank you, Zoe—I'm looking forward to you trying that." Aléxandros replied cattily, as he surveyed the walls for something.

"What are you looking for?" Atlanta asked, as she too scanned the wall for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing weird, as far as she could tell.

"A door…" Alex replied lamely.

Stephanie and Matthew exchanged a look, before saying in unison, "You mean this door?" as they pointed to the door that read, '_**maintenance only.**_'

The godling fought the blush tried to creep up his neck. _How did he miss that door, it's the only one in the hallway!_ "Yeah… that door."He confirmed weakly. Frowning when Zoe laughed at his oversight, Alex did the only thing he knew to do. He threw a tantrum of godly proportions. Now, it would look weird for a fully grown immortal to flail his arms and cry like a baby—so, instead of doing that, he made it rain…_hard._ Lightning struck in the background, and the building trembled with the force of it. The lights went out shortly after, and Sky found herself gripping Kyle's shoulder. "I thought you'd said you were going to stop threatening us!"

Alex rolled his eyes, before opening the door to the supply closet, and motioning for the half-bloods to come over. "Get in, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: Ares' Trial part two.<br>**


	10. Challenge 5: Ares Part two

**A\N: **For the love of the gods, what's wrong with me? I say I'm going to update on Saturday, Monday at the latest, and BAM! Here it is Tuesday. I say I'm going to put action and gore in this chapter, and BAM! I don't. To top it off, I got stuck on the purple prose train, and whatnot. D: Whaaaat iiiis wrooooong wiiiiith meee? *hits head with a brick* Urgh… I promise—and I really, really, really am going to follow through with this promise, since the urge for me to be all flowery and poetic has quieted down—that I will put action in the next chapter. This one got waaay too long, 9,000 words to be exact, to soldier on into the fight scenes and stuff.

If you guys don't want to kill me, I'm forever grateful and I'm sorry—if you do want to kill me; I'm sorry! I'm just being lame, because _my_ book is demanding that I write more of it.

Thanks in advance to all that read, favorite, and review. Special thanks to the anonymous reviewer; Lynn, and the people I list below.

**Characters in this chapter: **Aléxandros by Spartan-TeaParty (me), Stephanie Anderson by Starfan1245, Atlanta Hunter by DuskLightening, Kyle Anderson by Neon Templar, Zoe Hutton by artemishunter77, Katie Knapp by GoGreen216, Matthew Ross by Smartone101, and Sky by August57.

**Disclaimer:** Percy Jackson and the Olympian's doesn't belong to me, and neither does anything recognizable _outside_ this story.

**Warnings for this chapter: **Swearing, comic mischief and crude humor, mild violence and violent imagery, and people taking their clothes off. (Oh, yeeeeaaah!) If I forgot anything, be sure to tell me!

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><p>The rain outside pelted the window with unnatural forcefulness, and the glass trembled underneath the wet rush of water. The similarities between this rainstorm and the storm that left the patrons of Sissy's diner awestruck, were striking.<p>

The lightning struck at a constant—never leaving the sky without a breathing-taking streak of electric energy, (whose colors varied from blue, mauve, gold, white and vermillion) for even a moment.

Thunder roared deafening loud, reverberating in the demigods' chests, (effervescent all the way down to their bone marrow) as they legged it to the door that Aléxandros held open.

As Atlanta moved to step inside the room, (she was the last semi-divine to do so—to make sure everyone was in) she realized that a partial reason for why the godling had made it rain, was to short out the security system.

On the wall nearest to the door, there was a small red box marked with a poster warning of livewires inside of it, running from the box were two red and gold wires, and from the box the wires traveled to the doorframe, where they disappeared into a metal container that hung over the door.

Taking in the bigger picture, Atlanta noticed that the supply closet was roughly the size of an average store cupboard. Bolted into two of the four walls, were metal shelves that were lined with cleaning products, tool boxes, and other sundry items. On the wall with the red box, was a raised ladder that was secured in place by a few rusty (but, strong and seemly well-made) padlocks.

The walls were made of brick, and sloppily painted over with beige paint, while the floor was made of hard concrete; the ceiling overhead had water damage to it—wait, no, that wasn't water.

Upon closer inspection; Atlanta recognized that the stain on the ceiling was something more ominous… it was blood. Well, that was just great; they were in a bloody supply closet—without windows.

Breathing calmly through her nose, the redhead looked over to her younger companions; and noted with mild amusement, the irritated look on Matthew's face, as he was herded, none too gently, against one of the shelves, whilst everyone (and their suddenly clunky backpack) poured into the tiny room.

The markswoman sighed. She wasn't the only one that could see the stain on the ceiling, but so long as no one else fretted out about it, she wasn't going to, either. Pulling her own bag to her body, she shuffled inside, and found a spot between Stephanie and the aforementioned ladder.

Alex nodded pleasantly when he saw all of the adventurers smash into each other, and stepped inside the room; closing the door behind himself, and adjusting his bag on his shoulder, as he did. The room was enveloped in absolute darkness, afterwards, and the godling set out towards the area where Atlanta was standing—more specifically, to the ladder she was standing in front of—without hesitation.

Pushing through the small crowd of his charges, (who swore at him and shoved him away, each time they thought he got too close) Aléxandros eventually found himself standing side-by-side with the daughter of Artemis.

"As much fun as Three Minutes in Ecstasy is, I'm not too keen on playing it with you guys." The godling smirked wickedly to those who could see him, before turning his back to the demigods and his attention to unlocking the padlocks that kept the ladder out of the shorter half-bloods reach.

"It's Seven Minutes in Heaven." Stephanie corrected, before grunting when Katie's elbow cuffed her in the collarbone. "Excuse you, Kat." She glowered, rubbing the afflicted area with soothing, delicate fingertips.

"Seven minutes? The lot of you wouldn't last nearly that long—three minutes is me being generous." The godling chuckled shamelessly, as he tried to yank the lock off. Apparently, he pulled a little too hard, because the chain the lock was attached to snapped like a celery stalk, and his hand flew back and hit the red fuse box.

The wires caught fire for a quick second, as electricity jumped off the box and up Aléxandros' muscular arm, burning the sleeve of his shirt. Any other person would have been killed instantly, (any other person wouldn't have been able to illicit electricity from a dead wire, actually) but, of course, the godling was unaffected... it helped that he was the son (daughter) of Zeus, and all that.

"What the hell was that!" Sky jumped, when the room briefly lit up with light and the smell of burnt wires—before yowling in pain, as her foot was stamped on. Her toes throbbed like it was going out of style, and in retaliation to whoever stepped on her foot, the daughter of Notus hit who she thought was responsible.

Her palm connected with Kyle's cheek. She knew it was him, because of his lack of reaction. Damn it, she hit the wrong person—the son of Nyx would never intentionally, or accidently, step on her foot. "Sorry, Kyle… I meant to hit the person next to you."

"OW!" Katie cried out, moments later, when Sky slapped her on the neck. "What was that for?" She asked incredulously, rubbing the stinging skin that covered the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

"Oh, damn! Sorry, Kat," Sky apologized, as she blindly reached out to remorsefully pat the shorter girl. Soon after she successfully smacked everyone in the general area, (in the attempt to find Katie again) the daughter of Winds found her hands being held to her sides by those standing around her.

Aléxandros was still rubbing the back of his head, when the ladder fell free from its bindings and the bottom of it clacked loudly against the floor—startling everyone who wasn't prepared for it. "It's about time." He said weakly, grabbing the rungs and shaking the ladder to make sure it was sturdy. Closing his eyes, the godling focused on the storm outside. There's no need to keep them in the dark, he thought, as he soothed the tempest in the clouds with a single thought of sunshine.

The lights came on soon after, and the supply closet came alive with noise. All around, there was clatter. The demigods were fussing with each other, now that they could see just where they were, and whose hand was where it shouldn't have been. The fuse box was crackling and sputtering, as the split wires spit up sparks; and Alex knew that someone would end up hurt, if he didn't get them out of the cupboard as soon as possible.

Moving back as much as he could, (without trampling Atlanta's foot, or hitting Stephanie with his haversack) the son of Zeus gestured to the ladder. "Come on kiddos, up you go; we're late as it is—" When they stopped bickering long enough to look at the brunette, he smiled and motioned more pointedly to the rusty loft ladder, "Ladies first." He added, just as they started moving.

Atlanta shuffled passed Aléxandros awkwardly, trying to keep her body from pressing too close to his, as she maneuvered herself around him to get to the ladder. Once, she was there, she wasted no time climbing up the rusty rungs. The palms of her hands burned, as the first few layers of skin on her hands was scraped by the eroded metal—but, she ignored it, as she continued to climb upwards.

After the redhead disappeared from sight, Zoe followed her lead and ascended the ladder as well—then came Katie, Sky, and finally Stephanie. When they were all up and the supply closet was roomy once again, Aléxandros turned to the remaining demigods. "When I said ladies first, I meant you too, Matthew."

The son of Apollo scowled, but wasn't going to let the godling get the last word. "I was waiting for the biggest lady of them all to go—what're you waiting for, _**Alexis**_? You want me to hold your purse?"

The son of Zeus narrowed his too-blue eyes at Matthew in a hard glare. The wires on the wall start spitting out more and more sparks and flickers, and it's obvious that Aléxandros was having trouble holding back Jessup's temper.

Demigods, the godling realizes for the first time, were kept at arm's length by their godly parents, not because the gods were _ashamed_ of them—no, that would be stupid. They were put upon those little pedestals of theirs, and admired from afar, because all half-bloods were volatile creatures.

They had both power _and _emotions—irrational, impulsive, overzealous _human _feelings. Feelings that proved time and time again, to be their downfall; feelings that they shouldn't have had, for the amount of supremacy over mortal man they possessed.

Nexus had let her overwhelming jealousy dominate her ability to be rational—she was granted status amongst the gods; immortality, but she still had the mind of a spoiled mortal girl. She had been showered in love and praise; taught the arts and combat—and, still that girl wanted all she could not have. And when she felt that her father's attentions had grown to be unsatisfying, she gave herself to anyone that would have her. To feel that love that she thought she was missing, she broke the little known pledge she had made to stay virtuous for an eternity.

Zeus had forgiven her—he always did. But, others wished to see her fall for her insolent behavior. They could not make Zeus see reason, though; his love for his daughter was too great. And so, when she was denied a spot within the pantheon, and flew into a frenzy to end all frenzies, the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back had fallen.

The son of Hermes; Luke Castellan, was another prime example of the capricious nature of demigods; but, his harrowing story was for another day, when Aléxandros could sit down and unbind the weave of the young man's tale; so, that he could analyze each and every thread of his cruel, cruel destiny. Perhaps, when Atlanta was ready, she would aid the godling in putting the story together. He doubted it, though.

Love was a strong emotion. More power than Heracles, in its ability to literally scatter universes and move mountains without effort. More violent than all of the wars and the raging seas combined. More reliable than the grass was green, and heavier than the earth was on Atlas' shoulders; Love was devotion so strong it bordered on obsession—it was passion so heated that it set an individual's blood ablaze and their heart into a frenzy of staccato rhythms that meant impending death, if felt during any other moment.

The horrifying thing about love, Aléxandros thought, was that demigods were not the only ones susceptible to it—the gods were, too. Eros had fallen prey to his own power, and grew infatuated with the mortal Psyche, when he sliced into his flesh with one of his arrows. How stubborn and human-like he'd become after that, when he was under Love's spell.

If the gods were turned into nothing but super-powered mortals—like children, meandering about in giddy misery; punch-drunk and irritable, all waking hours of the human day—when they were hopped up on Love's intoxicating hold, then what could it possibly feel like for humans… _half-bloods_.

How does it feel to have one's heartbroken—was it like the mortal poets said…agony?

Standing by the ladder, lost in his musings, Aléxandros only roused from his daze when Stephanie shouted down at him from the top of the ladder. Blinking, as he dispelled his ravenous thoughts, the brunette glanced around the room and noted that Kyle and Matthew had long since left.

Breathing unnecessarily from his mouth, the son of Zeus swung himself onto the ladder and climbed as quickly as he could up it. He wanted to get out of the room—as if doing so, he could escape the disconcerting thoughts in the back of his mind; _Anger, jealousy, mirth_—_he could feel those, but, he didn't feel __love__ on his own... he wasn't complete. He arouse from the heart of a woman who craved and gave love so very freely, and yet, couldn't love on his own. _He.Wasn't. Whole.

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><p>Sky groaned in relief, when she saw Aléxandros' coffee-colored mane peak out from the trapdoor opening in the floor. It was about time. "I thought you said we were running late?" Judging by the tension in the air, everyone else was just as irked and antsy as she was.<p>

Alex waved her off with a forced air of nonchalance, as he tried to fall back into his superficial personality. Laidback, flirtatious, a little eccentric, and humorous… he didn't think he could pull it off, any longer, if the demigods kept testing his patience, but, it didn't hurt to try. He'd been pretending for so long—why should he stop now?

"We still are; I was just making sure no one was coming to check on us." The godling's lie was so transparent; but, nobody said anything, because they hadn't really cared to hear his truthful answer, anyways.

Closing the hatch over the ladder loudly, as if to contradict his earlier statement about discretion and whatnot; Aléxandros turned to the demigods and motioned for them to follow him. "Just down the hall, is where we need to go…" taking the lead, the brunette crossed the corridor with confident strides.

Katie and Zoe had some trouble keeping up—Alex's height was making itself known, within the long, amazing steps he took. Each four steps they took equaled one from him, but he was still a good distance ahead. In order to keep up, the two shortest girls ended up having to jog keep in stride with him.

The hallway around them, Kyle noticed, looked odd. Odd, as in, it looked like the architect that designed it had run out of ideas in the middle of drawing up the blue prints, and ended up smashing the look of Athena's and Ares' cabins together.

The walls were a wise gray marble; and the many windows were covered with coarse-looking white curtains. For every one window, there would be a statue or painting. Either it be an owl; or busts garbed with helmets and aegis'; portraits of lively olive trees with snakes hanging from their branches; all the sorts of things that were associated with Athena.

The floors contrasted the walls modest, graceful theme. It looked to be made of cracked granite, and bore the color of freshly spilled blood—a crimson that inspired thoughts of the bloodiest and fiercest battles; torment, pain, anguish and unbridled violence.

Kyle pulled his eyes away from the ruddy surface, (willing his mind from the brutal visions) and his midnight-colored eyes caught sight of the razor sharp, and heavily gored, barbed wire trimming that twined and twisted in-between the space where the floor and the wall met.

For every two windows, there would a garish taxidermy creature. As they walked, they passed a mounted boar with a jagged spear driven deeply in its helmet; splitting the aged metal, and lodging painfully in its skull.

Sky frowned at the gory imagery; it triggered and stirred feelings deep within her. Things she couldn't comprehend—and almost didn't want to. A tremor raced up her spine, as she tried to ignore the symbolic pieces of violence and war. "Just down the hall?" She parroted, watching Aléxandros' back as he walked in front of her.

Katie patted her on the back, reassuringly, as she casted her a sidelong glance. "You get used to it." She said calmly, actually _admiring _the images of war.

Stephanie wondered briefly, how the petite brunette could even stand the sight of a man being stabbed through the chest by several sharp barbs, on a large picture they strolled passed... Oh, right, she was the daughter of _Nike_—a goddess who took part in both war and violence; and of course, was known for her involvement in the Trojan War—she wouldn't mind stuff like this.

Katie would be willing, and able, to do almost anything, if it meant she would win—killing being one of those things.

"Keep it pushing, Knapp." Zoe ordered, pushing Katie along sternly; when the brunette stopped in front of her to examine a beautiful painting of Athena, by Bartholomeus Spranger.

"Oh, right, I forgot you weren't an admirer of art." Atlanta chuckled, thinking back to the long, winding hallway (and the graphic paintings that lined it) in Apollo's temple. Zoe had been beside herself with rage, then, as she was now.

Matthew flicked his hair out his eyes, "I wouldn't call it art; but, I know something else that Hutton admires—" pointing to Kyle's back, the son of Apollo smirked lightly when his older cousin laughed outright at his joke.

The ravenettes knew what Matthew had done, without even looking, but didn't acknowledge him; as they followed Alex down the seemingly never-ending corridor.

"How long is this hallway!" The godling said, as he picked up his pace from long steps to a little jog. "Damn, you could land a plane in here—" the brunette interrupted himself when a broken floor tile gave under his weight, and an arrow appeared from the covered window at high speed.

Having not anticipated the projectile, Aléxandros didn't dodge it. Gaping like a fish out of water, the son of Zeus let out a pained gasp, and stumbled when the arrow embedded itself deep within his shoulder.

It shot straight through his body at full speed, not slowing down until the arrowhead broke the surface of the godling's pressed, black dress-shirt and snapped one of the straps of his bag. A good four centimeters was visible between the base of the arrowhead and the shaft that was skewered painfully through Alex's back, and Sky covered her mouth with her hands, as she stared.

The daughter of the Winds momentarily forgot that Aléxandros wouldn't die from a simple arrow, and rushed forward to assist him without thinking. She was good at just acting on instinct—but, then again, most demigods were.

"Airhead, wait—" Matthew warned, grabbing the girl by the bend of her elbow, and reeling her back to his chest (so that he could contain her, as she struggled to get to the bleeding godling.) "Look around, for once in your simple life; this room's a deadfall."

Sky wiggled against the son of Apollo's hold (he was, apparently, stronger than he looked) fruitlessly—angry that he was, once again, insulting her intelligence, and desperate to help the wounded divine before them—for a few more moments, before calming enough to take in the room once again.

He was right; the room was booby-trapped. Without really having to take a closer look at the corridor, she could see the small indentations in the tiles; the discoloration on the ceiling, the tiny holes in the walls (and the not-so tiny ones that were not-too carefully hidden behind the fluttering curtains.) Oh! And, how could she not see the obvious slits in the wall where—she presumed—there would be a large axe swinging out from it; if the trap was triggered.

"Well, I'll be a friggin' Raider of the Lost Ark. What's with all the shitty traps?" Zoe scowled, as she stepped back; her arm instinctively finding and twining around Kyle's. No one noticed, though; which was a good thing for them_. _

Alex hissed, as he snapped the arrow in half, and pulled it out of his back with great effort. Blood soaked through the onyx fabric of his top, making it look darker than even possible, and the shirt stuck to his body like a second skin. Even though the wound was healing, he still wore a look of great pain, as he regarded the large wet patch and tear in his chemise. "I liked this shirt..." he whined, wiping the blood that trailed down his fingers on his jeans.

"Yeah, just smear it all over your clothes." Stephanie said grimly, as she followed the trail of blood that oozed from underneath Aléxandros' shirt, and pooled around the waistband of his trousers. The excessive amount of redness on the godling's person was startling. "For an immortal, you sure bleed like a hemophilic." She said plainly, and the godling shrugged at her in response.

"At the very least, you should be thankful," Katie started to say hopefully, as she watched Alex wince as he discarded the broken arrow on the floor. "Think of it—if that arrow went into your leg; you'd be limping for hours; days even."

One problem with Alex's brand of rapid regeneration—Katie discovered—was that the afflicted area still felt sore and tight, even though the wound had heeled all pretty and virtually scar-less. It was as if, the wound was closed with a rusty needle and coarse, binding twine—(which left behind shoddy, invisible patchwork stitches in its wake.)—as if, the laceration was neither properly disinfected; nor was it anesthetized by the body's natural cocktail of endorphins.

Atlanta nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with the daughter of Nike. Alex had been out of commission for days, after being attacked by the guardian of Aphrodite's temple—and that was because he received a deep stomach wound. An arrow to the knee would be probably set them back for a week and a half.

Shaking her head, at how taken by surprise they were with every new challenge they faced, the daughter of Artemis put her hands on her hips, as she asked the one question that hadn't been posed yet, "When were you going to tell us more about this trial? Hmm? While we were being hunted like animals?"

"Actually, I was going to wait until one of you tripped one of the pressure sensors, and a boulder came rolling after us." The godling replied sarcastically, as he glanced over the floor carefully. "I'd no idea there was a mini-challenge, before the actual trials. It helps that there are no bodies lying around to warn me." After that, Aléxandros got quiet; so that he could count all of the 'safe' tiles. Since, he had stepped on a tile that had spear craved into it, it was safe to assume that those weren't the one they should walk on.

As the demigods talked amongst themselves to fill the silence, Alex plotted out a pathway to the stairwell he could vaguely make out from the distance (and angle) he was at. Confident that his charges would be able to make the journey without accidently setting off any traps, he started unbuttoning and removing his sullied shirt.

Sky had just exacted her revenge on Matthew, by kicking the son of Apollo somewhat hard in the shin—(he swore at her, and would've shaken her senseless, if Stephanie didn't step in-between the two of them; looking as stern as she wanted to, with her hands folded across her chest)—when she noticed the godling stripping out of his top.

"He started it, Steph—WHOA! Alex, what are you _doing!_?" She gaped, startled when his deeply tanned and muscled back was revealed from underneath the dirtied chemise—long rivets of blood clinging to the skin, glistening in the light, and coated old, gruesome-looking scars that shouldn't have been there. "T-this isn't the time for you to be re-living Apollo's sexy-parties. Put your clothes back on, damn it!"

"Shh...!" The son of Zeus hushed her weakly, (silently chuckling at how her joke-telling started sounding more and more like Zoe's with each passing day) before slipping the blouse off his arms completely, and rolling it into a bloody ball of silk. "This damned shirt cost me one hundred dollars, at Neiman Marcus—I wouldn't be taking it off, if I didn't _have_ to." With that, he tossed it skillfully down the long hallway.

Kyle was about to ask him what he meant by _having _to take his shirt off—more importantly, he was going to ask the godling why he'd _**thrown**_it, of all things—when a flurry of traps were set off, just by the sailing chemise.

The demigods gawked, as arrows flew from every which direction; blurring at the amazing speeds they sustained, and _exploding_ when they impacted with each other, or a wall—as fire blasted from the ceiling and scorched the floor tiles, until the crimson granite smelled of burnt earth and _death_—as large axes swung from wall to wall like a deadly pendulum; slicing the air with such a menacing sound, that Stephanie could have sworn she could hear the last, bloodcurdling screams of the trap's deceased victims.

Thankfully, there was no boulder that came tumbling down from some magical escape hatch. Though, it's not like its absence did anything to comfort the demigods.

"Screw this shit, I'm out of here." Zoe deadpanned, turning on her heel, as she tried to retreat back down the hall. Heavy emphasis on _tried_ to leave—since, she was still holding Kyle's hand; she barely got anywhere, and when the son of Nyx realized what she was planning to do; his feather light grip on her hand tightened just a bit.

The pressure on her fingers was just enough to ground her—just enough to force to stay right where she was. "Damn you, Kyle." Zoe growled, glaring at him, as he looked ahead; ho-hum and nonchalant.

After the traps ceased their lethal show, Aléxandros turned to face his demigod companions. The proof of Nárkissa's attack on him, made itself known, in the form of a trail gruesome, bite-mark-looking scars that covered the expanse of his toned, upper abdominals and left pectoral. The scars looked hideous—the area around damaged skin was red, purple, and black; bruised and angry; malformed and disgusting —and it was as though the godling had received the bites only a few moments ago.

Katie looked from the bite marks, (to keep from getting sick on her clothes) and looked to the floor behind Alex. Far up the hall, the ground was scorched; but, she could see what looked like the railing of a staircase. Her pretty almond eyes snapped back to his face, however, when Aléxandros spoke to them again.

"Assuming that I got all those spider web wires; _that_, was the hard part," His tone was laced with humor; so it was safe to hazard a guess that he wasn't self-conscious about his image. "From here on out—as long as you guys watch your step; no more traps should be set off."

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><p>And he was right, for the most part. As they ventured down the rest of the hallway; careful not to step on any of the broken tiles that had spears, they found no other problems.<p>

Atlanta let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, when they stepped off the sanguine flooring, and onto the smoother silver and black marble tiles that surrounded a large, spiral staircase that had the god of War's and the goddess of Wisdom's symbolic items craved into them, and winded both upwards into the ceiling and downward into the ground.

Ignoring that the walls, at this point, had taken on the ominous crimson that the floor once had, the redhead looked over to Katie and Sky; who were standing right behind her.

The two of them were looking right relieved to be on safe ground, and stood shoulder to shoulder with one another. Or atleast, they would have been standing shoulder to shoulder, if Kate was taller; or if Sky was shorter. The markswoman noticed, with a frown, that Stephanie was standing away from her two best friends; and had made a point not to even look at Sky.

Despite feigning civility, and not resorting to petty fighting with Sky; the honey-haired teen was still _obviously_ mad about what the daughter of the Winds had said to her—if that put-out scowl on her face, was anything to go by.

Matthew folded his arms across his chest, and Atlanta's silver eyes lit up with appreciation, when she noted the family resemblance between the brunette and Stephanie.

The daughter of Artemis was sure that, if she pulled that same expression, she could fit in with them—she was their cousin after all—until you got to her ever-changing, moon-colored eyes and vibrant red hair. She suddenly missed her distinct green eyes, as she stared at the emerald orbs that her cousins' directed at her, when they realized she was looking at them.

The two children of Apollo shuffled on their feet, and were soon rescued from the potential awkwardness, when Alex came up to them and handed Stephanie his bag. "Can you hold this for a sec?" The godling asked, all late and whatnot, as he opened the haversack in the demigoddess' grasp and reached into it.

With the son of Zeus digging around in the knapsack, Stephanie found it to be dimensions heavier than it should have been; and Matthew and Kyle had to help her hold it up.

Alex was almost shoulder-deep in the bag—(which, by now, had revealed itself to be more than just an ordinary piece of luggage; it was like a portable black-hole, for crying out loud!)—when he finally pulled his hand back with a triumphant sound.

In his grip was another shirt; it was a simple, royal-blue tee-shirt... until the brunette unfurled it. On the chest was the tacky, cheap plastic Flea Market version of the Superman Logo.

As the godling pulled the shirt over his head, (despite Zoe's many jokes about it) the strain of his bag on Stephanie's, Kyle's and Matthew's shoulders became too great, and they dropped the bag on the floor. The marble cracked under the weight of the haversack, and the three adventurers jumped at the sound. What if that had been their foot... Yikes!

"You never told us what kind of crap you had in there." Matthew said, as he kicked the bag over on its side. A few miscellaneous things rolled out—like another shirt, a bottle of lotion, a case of scented markers (the son of Apollo didn't even want to know why Aléxandros had those) and a worn looking leather-bound journal—along with Artemis' arrow and the last remaining golden grapes from Dionysus' bushel.

Alex regarded him with unyielding azure eyes, "And... you guys never told me how you got the Sun Chariot towed. I think we're even." Once he smoothed the cheap, scratchy cotton fabric down on his torso, the godling kneeled down and started putting the strewn-about objects back in their rightful place. "I will, however, tell you why _this,_" He lifted the bag in one fluid motion, before dropping it back onto the cracked marble. ("_Friggin' Show-off_," Matthew thought, bristling.) "Is so heavy... You see, it's a magical bag; and, it _supposedly_ is able to carry copious amounts of items. Unfortunately, back at camp, when I was packing, I couldn't fit anything bigger than a lamp in it, so... to say the least, I'm more than disappointed."

Katie gave him a look that was downright scandalized. "Why would you put a _lamp _in a _bag_?"

Aléxandros shrugged, as he continued putting the items back. "Why not? It was boring; just sitting in that cramped cabin all day—being looked at, and talked to from afar; but never truly approached."

Atlanta frowned. Did they really ignore Jessup, the other children of Hermes; as well as the unclaimed? A pang of _something_ shot through her heart—before she noticed Artemis' arrow lying on the floor. Noticing that the son of Zeus had yet to put it back in the haversack (he seemed to be ignoring it altogether) she snagged it up and appropriated it in her own. _He won't miss it_, she thought.

It turned out that he didn't even notice it was gone, because he put everything else away, closed the haversack and slung it over his shoulder, before he got to his feet. "Okay... So, enough with twiddling our thumbs and waiting for something fun to happen. Up and down those pretty stairs are the next challenges—and, I'm sure I'm not the only one that wants to get them done and out of the way."

Pausing to gauge the reaction of the demigods, he powered on, "Usually, I'd keep the details of the trial to myself, to keep some the mystique about it—to test your skills in impromptu battles, and whatnot." He quickly added, when Sky opened her mouth to say something. "Your parents don't appreciate my lack of planning; and more importantly, the unnecessary risks I take, by not telling you about the twists and turns in these challenges. They've gone soft on me... I think they actually want to be good parents."

At his words, the building seemed to shake and tremble. Dust dropped from the ceiling, and Zoe could've sworn she heard the traps behind them go off. It was like the world's worst earthquake.

A bolt of fear struck through Aléxandros' eyes, and he quickly apologized to the ceiling. Grinning sheepishly, after the quake ceased, he did a dramatic gesture with his hands and looked at the demigods, "Oh, how I do tend to forget that I can still make them mad." His tone of voice was as theatric and sarcastic as ever. He was probably trying to play off his terrified reaction.

It didn't work; Matthew was still smirking at him knowingly. _Ass-hat_—_just as complacent as his old man_, Alex thought bitterly, screwing his face up. "Well, anyways... I am, from now on, going to give you more information about the trials—instead of just dumping you into a shitty situation, and expecting you to make fire from feathers."

"Fire... from feathers? I know what you mean, but—still... that sounds a little stupid." Atlanta admitted, as she sat down on the staircase that led to the next floor.

"Ah, give me a break. I'm not good at being sagely and cryptic." Alex whined, "And, I vaguely remember expressing my disdain for being interrupted, a long time ago..." he quickly added, sounding more petulant by the minute.

The daughter of Artemis sighed wearily, before holding her arms up in a non-threatening manner. "Whatever," She said noncommittally, not wanting any confrontation.

"Good," Aléxandros nodded, before looking at everyone else. "S'all good with you guys?—Alright, so I should tell you the basics of both trials. Downstairs is Ares' arena, upstairs is Athena's hall. Their guardians, Adrastos and Arrisa, are like Ýdo̱r and Perivóli; they do not wish to, and aren't there to, fight. So, Zoe—(for the love of the gods)—don't get fresh with them." To the snort that the daughter of Hades made, Alex sneered, "I mean it, Zoe...! Things are difficult _without_ you bitch-facing everyone." The godling, soon after making that statement, was introduced to the sole of Zoe's shoe—after she had thrown it at his face in a fit of rage.

"No cat-fighting, you two." Stephanie jokingly warned, as she rubbed her still aching shoulders. Damn, that bag was heavy —and it hurt her muscles just to think about it.

"_No cat-fighting, you two_—" Zoe mocked agitatedly, "Oh, give me a freakin' break Anderson! Like you don't ever want to punch him in the face…!"

The whole group made their own sound of agreement, and Alex pouted. "Whatever —it's not like you guys are without your own faults, shortcomings and annoying personality traits. But, let's not stray off topic; back to the trials." Taking a deep breath, the godling launched into a brief summary of Ares' challenge. "Ares' trial is a test of will, determination, strength and stamina. It's a six round long, kill-or-be-killed battle-royal. They'll be all manners of things to cut down—from the Furies to Minotaurs—and, at the very end; given anyone could survive that long; the very final and fiercest opponent is the terror known as _Admeta_."

"Who's Admeta?" Katie asked, not liking the menacing smile on Alex's face, as he turned his head and locked eyes with her. It felt like he was stringing her along again. She just knew it! And when his smirk deepened—took on a more challenging edge, the brunette knew he was throwing tinder into the brightly burning flame of her Nike heritage. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her system, and when the blood started pounding in her ears; it sounded like a deafening ensemble of war drums. She could feel her pupils dilate and her skin prickle as endorphins flooded though her veins, and narrowed her brown eyes hotly at Aléxandros, when he looked away smug and satisfied with her reaction.

"Admeta's a ten-foot tall, armor-clad, half-woman half-bull." The godling explained plainly, putting his hands on his hips. "She was named for her feral behavior, ruthless fighting-style, and unpredictability—she's as strong as a handful of linebackers and she is as bloodthirsty as... well, anything that's bloodthirsty. Luckily, she's slow and as dumb as a box of rocks—so, you won't have any problem with her, so long as you're resourceful and stay out of the reach of her cleaver… _Katie_."

"_Katie_…?" Matthew and Sky chorused; uncharacteristically in-tune with each other, as they looked at Aléxandros like he'd just told them, and showed them, that the sky was lime-green and tango tangerine. "Why do you want _her _to face Admeta?" They both hissed.

Realizing that the daughter of Nike was standing right next to her, the daughter of the Winds quickly added, "No offense, Kat! But, c'mon, Alex—why her? Why not one of us?"

Atlanta crossed her arms, looking none-too-pleased with Sky, "Why not Katie? She doesn't turn away at the sight of gore; and she'd do anything to win—don't you remember how she knocked Amanda off the back of their chariot, so that she could go faster?"

The daughter of Nike blushed, as the memory of elbowing her half-sister _hard _in the face entered her mind. It was amazing how the brunette could be so sweet, one moment—and absolutely ruthless, the next.

"She's right." Stephanie offered, looking in Sky's general direction. "Kat's amazing in battle—she doesn't hold back. Who would be better to survive (how many rounds—six?") Six rounds of non-stop fighting, then her?"

Kyle and Zoe shrugged in vague agreement, "If she wants to risk her life, who am I to tell her not to?" the daughter of Hades said briskly.

Matthew looked nonplussed and angry at the same time, but didn't say anything else. He was smart enough to know that he wouldn't win this battle. Smoothing his fringe out of his eyes, he grumbled, "If I don't get to participate in the battle; I atleast want to see what all the fuss about Knapp, is."

"Understood," Alex nodded, smirking at the look of frustration in the son of Apollo's eyes. "Katie and Matthew, you guys are due downstairs—does anyone else want to tag along?"

Zoe looked at Kyle, silently asking him if he wanted to go—he gently shook his head 'no', before letting go of her hand—"I'll go... I can bet'cha ten bucks that watching Alley-Kat kicking the crap out of monsters is a hell of alot more entertaining, than putting books on a shelf, upstairs."

"I'm sure Athena's challenge is alot more dangerous than that—it's one of the 12 _deadly_ trials, isn't it?—but, I think you're right... I think I want to cheer Kat on, instead." Sky looked apologetically at Katie for doubting her skill in battle—and the shorter girl smiled forgivingly, in response.

"Okay, that settles that." Alex nodded to himself, before gesturing for the four of them to stand together by the stairs that led to the arena; adjusting the bag on his torso, so that he could open it without taking it off, the godling angled his arms awkwardly and dug around in the bag, until he pulled out Demeter's armor. It shone a bright gold in the light; and as the godling dumped the vambraces, breastplate and shoulder plates into Katie's arms; he wished her good luck.

"We'll see you guys on the far side." He said, before turning to the others, and motioning them to sit by Atlanta, on the stairs that led to the hall, "Looks like you guys are with me."

Zoe shrugged before grabbing the railing and sauntering downstairs—Sky, Matthew and Katie bringing up the rear.

* * *

><p>If not for the few torches that lined the wall, the stairwell would have been pitch-black—and, so, to keep from tripping on the stairs, and killing each other, Matthew located a lighter from his backpack.<p>

Flicking it on, the brunette was surprised how well it worked. The firelight that would have usually been useless in other suffocating darkness's filled the tunnel-like around, and lit it up better than turning on a light.

Sky would have preferred it to stay dark, however, because with the light of Matthew's lighter; she could see just how creepy it was. The walls were made of old stone bricks; each with moss growing (and ink-colored blood seeping) from the cracks, the stairs looked ready to crumble under their feet, and the torches were (just barely) held to the wall by _real_ severed arms. If Ares wanted points for being gross; he could get as many as he wanted.

Aside from the rumbling that shook the stairwell and its occupants, the descent to the arena wasn't too difficult. It was getting passed the beast that awaited them at the landing that was.

The stair-landing led out into a narrow hallway that was dank, scantly lit and smell of death and the bulky man-beast that occupied the space took good advantage of his amazing size, and the small sized walkway, as he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with each oozing stone wall.

There was no way around him, and he made right sure of it. He was too high to jump over—his crudely shaved head almost touched the ceiling!—and his legs were too well built and bulging to climb in-between; so, unless he turned to the side, the demigods were stuck.

"Might I ask just who you scabs are?" He questioned antagonistically; sizing up the tiny (by comparison) semi-divines with his piercing red eye—singular; his other peeper was (presumably...no, _definitely_...missing) under the bloody eye patch that stretched across his—attractive in a Leather face, from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, kind of way—face.

Zoe immediately recognized—as she sized the hulking man up—if she started beefing with this guy at some point or another; that she might as well be signing her death wish.

Aside from the fact that he was freakishly tall and hideously muscular; every expanse of his skin was covered in either horrendous burns, or revolting scars—scars that looked as if he had received them by less than _normal_ means. _Normal by demigod standards_, she means, and she and her fellow demigods had seen the brunt of how dangerous things could be.

"We're here for the trial." Matthew said straightforwardly; trying hard not to scowl at how the man's foul breath stirred his fringe—or fold his across his chest, when Zoe stepped behind him shaking her head in a way that said 'Gods damn it, I'd take the traps over this _Ivan Drago _on steroids and rage'—or do anything that could be interpreted as hostility; he didn't want to fight _this_ guy, in _this_ tiny hallway.

The man looked over their whole group. From Matthew, to Zoe, to Sky and finally to Katie—and his _eye_ immediately locked on the daughter of Nike, as he watched the brunette wrestled to pull the gilded shoulder-armor onto her person. A red orb jumps a few shades darker and the deep crimson swirls to a healthy-looking brown, and the man is craning his neck just slightly to regard Katie with an almost friendly smile. "Ah, I've waited a long time for someone like myself. Sister, how very nice it is to meet you." he bowed, and the rocky ground beneath him crunched at his weight.

Sky furrowed her brows, and looked confusedly from Matthew and Zoe, before glancing at Katie. The brunette looked alot less surprised.

The demigoddess' brown eyes warmed with familiarity, as she ceased her fruitless attempts to don her armament, and she exchanged the man's (her brother's?) bow with ease. "Likewise," She said coolly, after righting herself and resituating the armor in the cradle of her arms.

"You know this...er...guy?" Sky asked, looking more perplexed by the passing second.

Katie gave her a light shoulder shrug in response, "He's my half-brother—so, I know him; and then I don't. At our core, we're all the same; we share most of the same interest, we share our mother's blood, ETC—so, I know that much about him, _and I really don't care to know more_." The last part was whispered, and emphasized with the brunette pointing discreetly at a jagged and deep, lightning bolt scar on the large man; that was just barely covered by the rough, black toga he wore to (barely) cover his modesty.

"I am Adrastos; proud son of Nike, and guardian of this temple." He introduced himself curtly, in a less-than-friendly-but-more-or-less-polite tone. Now knowing that they were traveling with his half-sister; Adrastos turned around and motioned for them to follow him down the tunnel of a hallway, "It's a pleasure to know that this trial will be completed for once in a century." He joked roughly, looking over his shoulder every so often to make sure they were still behind him.

They traveled down the hall listening to Katie and Adrastos go back and forth, sharing stories of triumph and swapping battle tactics; and Zoe would sooner smash her face into a brick wall, then listen to any more of it. It's like Chuck Norris cloned himself and struck up a conversation with said clone. It was _talk, talk, talk _about how epic they were; how many foes they laid through without break; how many battles and competitions they won; what color was better, regular plum, or royal plum—(which were the same freakin' color!)—geez, if she wanted to hear someone brag, she would have asked.

* * *

><p>The longer they traveled, the more and more the walls spread out, until they were lead into a compartment that resembled a dressing room. Well, not a dressing room by modern-day standards.<p>

The walls had paint on them, and the floor was made of smooth earth, (that was a step up from the bricks and rocks, definitely) but, there were no vanities or lights; no metal racks with expensive clothing hanging from them; no cushy divan with mountains of pillows on it—instead of those pretty bits of furniture, there were several weapon racks that were being put to good use, a privacy screen that was riddled with holes and made of a were papyrus-looking material, and a stone mannequin that was draped over with a more ostentatious version of what Adrastos had on.

_Damn it, there was no place to sit! _Sky groaned as she tiredly rubbed her face with her hands. Despite having worn sensible sneakers and socks; her feet were sore from walking on the uneven surface of the stairs. Feeling the ache the worst in the balls of her feet, the redhead looked around the room for a second time, (and when she was sure there were no chairs around) she trudged over to the privacy screen, and sat on the floor in front of it.

Zoe joined her, happy to get away from the conversation the children of Nike were having. "Can you believe this shit? I actually doubt if this was a good idea." The ravenette brooded, (because, pouting was not her style) as she worried the orange strands of hair that hung in her eyes between two fingers.

Matthew refused to sit down and pout, standing by Katie and Adrastos, he allowed himself to cross his arms. "Are you two going to sit around trading secrets, or are we going to make any progress?"

The two stopped chatting each other up abruptly, looking to the son of Apollo with matching awestruck expressions on their faces. It was as if he had just appeared out of nowhere, and hadn't been with them the entire time.

Adrastos' gaze looked distant and hazy for a moment, before refocusing and taking on the hard edge that it had when they first walked up to him. He started cursing in his native tongue, (but, by now, they all understood what he was saying about them) before putting his big hands on Katie's shoulders and guiding her towards the garbed dummy. "Take those rags off, and put that on." He said pointing to the black, red and ornate toga.

Katie looked between him and the silky robes, before redness blossomed in her cheeks. "What's wrong with what I have on now?" She sputtered, gesturing wildly to the t-shirt and jeans she was wearing—since, her arms were full of armor; she ended up dropping it on one of her feet. Gods and Goddesses, was it heavier than it looked! Her eyes filled with tears, as she snatched the throbbing foot from under fallen pieces of celestial metal.

"Take those off, too—they'll do more bad than good, in the arena." Adrastos growled, looking disapprovingly at Katie's sandals, as if they'd personally offended him just by existing. Kneeling down, and collecting Demeter's armor, the son of Nike looked more pointedly at his younger half-sibling. "To answer your question about your current state of dress—I don't want my sister getting killed, because of her lousy trousers."

The brunette opened her mouth to protest, but Sky groaned for her _to just let it go and change her clothes, already! _Her mouth set in a firm line, before she removed the ceremonial garb off of the mannequin and set off to dress behind the screen.

Zoe, Sky and Adrastos all glared at Matthew; when he didn't turn put his back to the screen. "You can't even see her." He grumbled in his own defense, as he batted the daughter of Notus' hands of his shoulders, when she tried to turn him around.

"The hell you can't." Zoe snorted, pointing out the many holes and tears in the (_see-through_) papyrus screen. Even without the obvious rips in the fabric, given the lighting of the room, Katie's silhouette was visible for all to see.

Adrastos glared all the fiercer at Matthew, when he didn't turn around, (even after being told to time and time again) and stepped between the son of Apollo and the screen; effectively blocking Katie's visage from unimpressed emerald green eyes with his large form. The hulking son of Nike was prepared to throttle the younger demigod, "I'll end you without a second thought." He warned.

"Relax, you guys, I'm dressed." Katie sighed, stepping out from behind the screen. She looked...well, _stunning, _standing a few fingers short of proud in robes fit for a champion. Deep, rich shades of red contrasted with her finely braided, chocolate brown hair and tanned complexion; and where crimson fabric twisted and twined out of view—charcoal black velvet appeared; just as beautiful as its sanguine counterpart.

The two materials wrapped and twisted around the brunette's athletic form; revealing and highlighting curves her companions didn't even know she had. And, since the toga was short—the hemline rested on her mid-thigh—they could see how toned her legs were.

"You look like a nymph after lord Ares' heart." Adrastos complimented, turning his back on Matthew, and wandering over to his half-sister, so that he could help her into her armor.

Once she was fully dressed and her backpack now in Sky's possession; she was ready to enter the arena—and, by that time, Zoe had fallen asleep with her arms propped up on her knees, and her face buried in her hands. She startled awake, when Sky poked her one the shoulder. "Waaah," She slurred lazily, wiping drool from her chin as she stared up at the daughter of the Winds.

"It's time to go."

* * *

><p>They all had expected that, when they stepped out of the room, they would be greeted by another dank, cramped hallway; and were pleasantly surprised when, instead, they were met with the short walkway to an expansive balcony that overlooked the arena; which looked like a coliseum with a large, rectangular fighting cage in the center of it.<p>

The many rows of seats, as it would turn out, were filled with people—well, not really people; but physical, distinguishable memories (projections, if you will) of people.

See-through and dated by their formal clothing and antique headdresses, the spectators rose from their stone seats, when they noticed Adrastos on the balcony. There were many looks flitting across their ghastly faces, and Zoe shivered when they turned their attention to her.

"I made a shitty choice, coming here." The daughter of Hades admitted, putting her hands to her ears, as she heard the faint, nagging sound of ringing bells.

Sky frowned, as she watched the ravenette hold her head. She wondered briefly how she felt, but then shook off the curiosity and sympathy; they weren't here to throw a pity-party.

Adrastos dragged in a deep breath, before announcing Katie to the audience in a language that they demigods couldn't understand. Sky furrowed her brows, as she tried to catch some keywords; tried to put a name to the tongue his was speaking in. Words from all kinds of languages flitted from the son of Nike's mouth, and the redhead realized that—whoa! He was speaking in several different tongues at once!

The crowd seemed to understand him just find, and they cheered and catcalled appropriately. All amped up for a trail that hadn't taken place in several summers; their spectral voices shook the walls, and rattled the chains on the cage.

Matthew looked to Katie, and she glanced back at him with ferocious almond eyes, "Don't get killed, Knapp." The son of Apollo said shortly, looking away from the shorter brunette. Those murderous eyes stirred up thoughts of his mother and sister—the day they were killed—and, for that, he couldn't look Katie in her eyes, any longer.

The daughter of Nike nodded, before stepping close to Adrastos' side, and greeting the crowd with her sword held high above her head. With blood pounding in her ears, once again, Katie shouted to the eager gathering ferociously, "I WILL BATHE IN THE BLOOD OF ALL WHO CHALLENGE ME!"

Hearing that gutsy promise, Sky was genuinely concerned that the daughter of Nike would pull a Carrie, and cover herself head-to-foot in the beastly competitors' blood. And her concern deepened, when the brunette was led to the cage screaming and chanting with the crowd that there would be blood.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Part: Ares' Trial Part Three.<strong>


	11. Challenge 5: Ares Part Three

**A\N: **Amidst my teenaged insanity and obsession with American McGee's Alice, I was able to write this chapter! This took more time than I'd hoped for, but I suck at fight scenes and the lovely Wikipedia was down for the count; so I had to hold out until today, to be able to write this like I wanted to.

The next chapter is, unfortunately, going to be a lot late, because I plan to start writing a little (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to use that word anymore) side-story to this: **"Sanguine Testamenti: The Langley Chronicles"** (whew! That's a mouthful) which follows some of the other lovely OCs that people lent to me, and my own character; Andromeda, as they gather information for Aléxandros and face perils like ever before. I hope you guys don't mind!

**Thanks in advance to all that read, favorite, and review. Of course; special thanks to Lynn, (whose reviews make me smile like a maniac off her meds) and the people I list below.**

**Characters in this chapter: **_Aléxandros by Spartan-TeaParty (me), Stephanie Anderson by Starfan1245, Atlanta Hunter by DuskLightening, Kyle Anderson by Neon Templar, Zoe Hutton by artemishunter77, Katie Knapp by GoGreen216, Matthew Ross by Smartone101, and Sky by August57._

**Disclaimer: **Percy Jackson and the Olympian's does _**not**_ belong to me, and neither does anything recognizable _outside_ this story**.**

**Warnings for this chapter: **Swearing, comic mischief and crude humor (I think?), extreme violence, descriptive gore, and lots of blood. If I forgot anything, be sure to tell me!

* * *

><p>While Katie was led to the fighting cage; Matthew, Sky and Zoe were led to the stone benches that sat just a few scant feet away from the barred enclosure. Unlike the spectral spectators; the demigods were solid forms—solid forms that could get blood on them; especially, at this short distance away from the impending carnage.<p>

Sky scrunched up her nose, at the thought of being coated by the entrails of a few unlucky creatures. A wave of nausea washed over her, as she sank onto the unyielding stone bench. She came here for a challenge, not a macabre Gallagher show; and that's exactly what she was going to get.

Zoe scooted away from the redhead, as she noticed how green around the gills, she looked. Blood wouldn't stain her black clothes; like Sky's vomit would, and didn't the smell of blood wasn't as bad, either. Holding her sweater closed, at the wispy trails of cold that seeped into the seams of her clothes, and chilled her skin to her very bones; the daughter of Hades looked around the arena.

It was, as she had seen it before, filled—from the ceiling to the rows behind them—with the spirits of dead. Gods, how did she get stuck in a spot like this. Surrounded by the dearly-departed, with no way out—sure, she held a mild control over the dead; like any other child of Hades, but that didn't make them any less unnerving to be around.

Tapping her foot on the floor, Zoe started grumbling impatiently for Katie to step into the arena.

Matthew was just as antsy, but he didn't show it. Leaning back coolly, with his hands in his pockets, he hummed a song familiar only to himself and the other children of Apollo. He hummed to himself only a moment longer, before he and the rest of the audience were standing up at the sight of Katie entering the enclosure via a hatch in the floor.

She looked almost unfamiliar with the confident, murderous aura that swirled about her and clung to her like a pungent perfume. Her brown hair had been intricate decorated with laurels and jewels in the time she had been missing, and looking at her in the light that poured in from the ceiling, Matthew thought Adrastos' earlier assessment that Katie looked like a nymph was correct.

The daughter of Nike smiled at her companions, before stepping away from the open hatch and making her way to the center of the cage. Behind her Adrastos appeared from the opening in the floor, with a glimmering metal case under his strong arm. He didn't say anything; he regarded the demigods outside of the cage with a knowing look, before placing the case on the floor by Katie's feet, and disappearing back where he came from.

After that, the arena was shortly enveloped in silence, and in the time, the demigods approached the cage with an air of anxiety about them. Was the trial about to begin? What was that case for?

They received their answer, as quickly as it was posed—Katie had opened the case, and from it sprung a bustle of creatures. Bat-like wings, claws and fangs were all that was visible of the beasts; as it was so hard to distinguish one from the other, given how close together they flew.

In a matter of moments, the cage was filled with furies; and there was no way to tell if Katie was still alive amongst the cluster of winged creatures. Their squawks and shrieks at being released, and the sound of their fleshy wings and bodies hitting against each other was deafeningly loud—louder than the roar of the ethereal crowds roars of excitement—louder than Sky's shrieks of shock and despair, as she lurched forward and grabbed the bars of the cage in her grasp (and despite having her knuckles scratched and battered by the sharp knife-like claws of the furies how occupied the space behind the bars, she held on tight and resolutely) until both of her hands went numb.

For a moment, it truly seemed like Katie had been killed during the release of the furies; there was just no way could anyone possibly survive the ravenous horde of violent creatures that were frantically biting, clawing and screeching as they fought to free themselves from the large enclosure.

Sky's waterline stung, as the dread of losing her friend made itself known like buckets of ice down the back of her shirt—and the throbbing pain in her chest was just enough to override the pain in her surely injured fingers. Blood trickled down the palm of her hand, down her wrists and her forearm, before soaking into the sleeve of her shirt and staining the ground beneath her.

Matthew scrunched his nose up at the metallic smell of blood, and turned his emerald gaze down to search out the source. Seeing that it came from Sky's hands, instead of from inside the cage, his heart (much to his displeasure) surged with relief that just _maybe_ the daughter of Nike was still alive in there. Reaching out, he grabbed the redhead's elbows and pulled her away from the cage—right in time, too, because a Harpy's teeth had just found the spot where Sky's hands were, and began biting and snapping angrily at them.

"She's survived a lot worse." Zoe reassured flatly, as she squinted into the flurry of movement and tried to make out any part of the petite brunette—be the ostentatious garb she had on, the sword in her hand; or even the laurel in her hair. There was a flash of lustrous red—and the ravenette followed the glaring color with her onyx eyes until it disappeared completely from sight. She was in there, no doubt.

A haughty 'I-know-something-they-don't' kind of smirk etched into Zoe's features, and the daughter of Hades turned to her companions with a knowing look in her eyes, right as an ear-piercing howl reverberated around the arena.

The entirety of the audience that hadn't already been on their feet, stood up looking shocked and downright scandalized, as the horrid wailing continued from inside the dark claw-filled recesses of the metal confine.

Another bellow of agony joined the other one, soon enough another cry and another. The amphitheater was soon filled with the sounds of a gory massacre, and with each echoing shriek and bloody gurgle; the noise of violence and flesh being torn viciously apart grew louder and more bloodcurdling, as the sound traveled from the depths of the cage and outwards towards the high walls of the room.

The black and gray charred flesh of the furies soon became stained with so much dark crimson fluid, that it looked black on their bodies and wings, in the shadow that the creatures casted on one other—if the smell of Sky's blood in the air drove them into a frenzy, it was nothing to what their own blood and gore did to them.

Wings flapped dangerously loud, and teeth sank into the flesh of fellow furies, as the creatures tried desperately to satiate their hunger. And as the violence within the cage grew to unbelievable heights, Sky and Matthew found themselves with their backs to the enclosure, as blood sprayed them freely.

Zoe didn't even flinch, as the tar-like blood soaked into her clothes, stained her hair and drenched her skin in the smell of death—she did, however, blink when a stray rivulet of blood trailed down from her fringe and unto her eyelid. Wiping the ruby track from her eye, the daughter of Hades pursed her lips. Disgusting; Harpy blood smelled worse than anything she could think of—and she could think of a lot of things.

Matthew resisted the strong assault of emotions and memories that washed over him, as the warm, revolting liquid clung to his skin; but, couldn't hold back the violent tremor that seized his body, no matter how hard he fought against it. Bitterness bubbled up in the pit of his stomach, and the son of Apollo unknowing slumped against Sky, his arms twined around her like she was a lifeline; as he tried to gain control over himself, once more.

The daughter of the winds had no idea why the brunette was holding her, but didn't ask, because her attention had been grasped by the sight of Katie reappearing from the flock of furies.

The daughter of Nike held fast onto her sword, with a look of intoxicated vehemence on her face; as she sliced, kicked, punched and mowed down all that dared to take a slash at her. Katie roared, as one of the creatures dove down at her—flapping it's wings and screeching as if that would immediate the demigoddess—and kicked it square in the teeth, when it got close enough.

The Harpy whizzed back, hitting the wall of the cage with a strangled sound of pain. It didn't have a chance to recover, however, because the daughter of Nike was fast approaching it with her blood-drenched sword held high, and posed above her head.

Katie gave a tremendous shout that shook the building, and sounded too great for a woman, (let alone a _teenaged_ girl her size) as she dodged and slashed the furies that put themselves between her and her intended prey.

When the demigoddess reached the wounded Harpy; which tried to ward her off with a toothless, but all the while threatening, blood-filled hiss, (because, it could not take flight; due to the wing that it broke when it impacted with the cage's wall) she smirked wickedly down at it.

What she did next drove the crowd wild. Katie lifted her crimson-stained sandal swiftly kicked the Harpy in the shoulder repeatedly—the brittle bones there gave way and cracked loudly under the assault; and the flesh bowed and deformed, as the color went from stony gray, to a wide variety of angry reds to lifeless purples.

The daughter of Nike ceased her kicking abruptly, when another Harpy flew at her and sunk its claw into the space between her shoulder and armor, and ripped her from the ground with a powerful tug. The brunette shrieked—more wrathful than shocked—as the ground grew further away from her feet, and began struggling against the hold on her.

The crowd gasped, not helping Katie's nerves at all, and the brunette flailed so violently, that she almost dropped her sword. _Almost. _Feeling the handle slipping fast from her slick grasp, she tightened her fingers around it and with a mighty heave, raised the celestial bronze blade above her head and slashed at the Harpy's leg with all of her strength.

Its muscular leg gave way under the blade's assault—the flesh, muscle and a strong bone yielded to the sharp metal; ripping apart in a bloody, jagged line and dropping off like the dead-weight it was. The Harpy howled in agony, as its leg was severed by Katie's blade, (plasma was spraying from the stump at an alarming rate, and soaking the demigoddess' shoulder-plate and garb) and with its still connected one, it swung the brunette towards a live wall of awaiting furies.

Without either of the two legs that held her high up in the air, Katie felt the pull of gravity around her body; tugging and yanking her back down to terra firma, and the rush of momentum that sent her down on an arch, and caused her stomach to flip and churn.

The daughter of Nike knew she only had seconds to react, before she plowed into the other bloodthirsty creatures and was torn into pieces, and wasn't going to waste it getting sick from the high fall.

Angling her body so that she was no longer falling, but gliding through the air, Katie held her arms out in front of her face to shield from the many claws and teeth that came whizzing towards her face at neck-break speed.

The noise that echoed from Katie's painful impact with the group of furies had the audience, and the other demigods, standing on edge. Concern, disappointment, anxiety and excitement; in various degrees, was painted on everyone's face, as they waited for the daughter of Nike to cut down the creatures.

She didn't cut them down, but she did reemerge. Katie flew from the collection of woman-shaped monsters, riding on the muscled back of one of them. Her legs were wrapped tightly around its midsection, and the toned muscles underneath the scraped up skin throbbed as a testament to how strong her clutch on the Harpy's form was.

The creature wasn't without its complaints—it bucked and swerved and tried to knock the brunette off—but, when the daughter of Nike scooted up its lithe back and sliced deeply into the Harpy's throat with her sword; its wriggling immediately ceased, and the life-force drained from the creature, causing it to fall from midair like a ragdoll.

Katie, of course, had anticipated this, and jumped from its back before she lost too much height. She expertly caught the ankle of another creature, and before it could kick her off, she jabbed her blade into its underbelly.

Blood gushed from its wound like the shower of water from a broken pipe, and the brunette spit and sputtered as the liquid splashed onto her face and temporarily blinded her.

Another felled Harpy; another plummet from high heights, and this time Katie couldn't see. She tried desperately to wipe the blood out of her eyes-but couldn't, despite her best efforts. Swearing, she tried to turn over, so that she could free-fall on her stomach, instead of her back, but through the curtain of red that blotted out her vision-she saw the ground fast approaching and knew she wouldn't be able to do it. Bracing herself for the fall that would surely kill her, the brunette clenched her teeth. Damn it! She couldn't die like this-she couldn't die from a stupid fall!

"RAAARGH," came the startling battle-cry that rumbled from the depths of her soul, and echoed throughout the hall. There was a blur of movement; as the furies raced to catch Katie and rip her limb from limb—and before anyone knew what was happening, there was a large wave of blood that sprayed from the cage and onto the audience. From the demigods' bottom-row seats, and the rows near the ceiling, there was blood coating everything.

Sky felt woozy from the heavy smell of Harpy blood—there was just so much of it, it was disgusting—and if not for Matthew still clinging to her side, she would have swayed on her feet.

"Sit down, love-birds. You both look like you're going to faint." Zoe joked wryly, before spitting out a stream of dark crimson and wiping her mouth off with her sleeve. She ended up smearing more blood than she wiped off, but she didn't care—the ravenette was more concerned with getting the foul taste out of her mouth. Reaching into her pocket, she found her relief in the form of a packet of red vines. Careful not to touch the candy with her bloody hands, Zoe ripped the bag open and tore into the confectionery.

Matthew wondered just how the _hell _the ravenette could bother to eat—what with all the gore around and on them—but, didn't put much more thought into it, because Sky was much better at drawing his attention than thoughts were. Annoying people just had a way of keeping him from his ponders—especially when they shoved him, like Sky did.

The son of Apollo stumbled (but, only just a little—Sky wasn't nearly strong enough to make him lose his footing altogether), before catching himself to keep from slipping on the slicked floor and falling. It would be embarrassing if he fell, because a _girl_ pushed him. Once he was stable, he made a point to shove her back _hard _and glare.

Sky was about to curse him out, when Zoe pointed towards the cage. The enclosure was stained a grizzly red; but, on the plus side, there was not any one Harpy flying about-Katie had been methodical enough; as whatever was left of them was splayed out across the enclosure's floor in heaps of red.

Sliced, mangled and battered wings, legs, torsos and heads lay around, crimson stained and visibly twitching; but, upon closer inspection, Sky realized with a muted horror that there was no Katie standing triumphantly in the middle of the massacre.

In fact, the daughter of Nike was nowhere to be seen. Panic seized the daughter of the Winds, and she was gripping onto the bars, once more, as she searched out her friend with frantic turquoise eyes. "Katie—Kat, where are you! Are you okay?" Sky called worriedly.

Zoe was about to tell the redhead that Katie was fine—the demigoddess had to be; since there weren't any obnoxious bells going off in the daughter of Hades' head—but, she was interrupted by the roar of applause from the crowd when Katie arose from a particularly large pile of mangled bodies. Head to foot, she was covered with red and appendages that didn't belong to her; and it was a wonder why Adrastos had given her such beautiful garments, only for her to get them dreadfully filthy.

Stepping into the center of the cage, Katie spit out a considerable amount of blood, before howling haughtily, along with the raving crowd. Holding up her sword and a brutally severed Harpy head, the brunette let her murderous facade fall away for an unfitting look of childish excitement. "Guys, I did it!" She squeaked, dropping the head and racing over to the side of the cage that her companions were stationed at. "I cleared the first ro—whoa!" Slipping on a puddle of entrails, the daughter of Nike fell comically onto her back.

Her clumsiness didn't faze the crowd in no way—they were still chanting and cheering—but, Zoe thought it was absolutely hilarious. The ravenette laughed freely, and only stopped when Katie sat up and flicked the blood off her sword in her direction.

"Watch it, Knapp!" The daughter of Hades hissed, side-stepping the spray of blood like an angry cat avoiding water. (More like a soaked to the bone cat avoiding a just few more drops of water. There really was no point in worrying about getting wetter—or bloodier, in her case—but, she refused to get another drop on her.)

Katie smiled brightly in response, as she picked herself and her weapon off the ground. Once she was on her feet, she bowed to the raving crowd and looked around for her half-brother. "Adrastos," The brunette called out, upon spotting him prowling around the row behind her companions. When he looked up at her with his one brown eye, the daughter of Nike smirked smugly, "Brother, do you seriously believe that this trial is difficult?"

Adrastos grinned back, crossing his strong arms over his chest, "This is only the beginning, my dearest sister."

* * *

><p>The second and third rounds were just as gory as the first, and Sky was sure that the cleaning crew that came in between rounds was up to their necks in filth and entrails, and pissed beyond belief at Katie—because, apparently; they weren't used to challengers being able to run-through the beasts as quickly, and as brutally, as the daughter of Nike did.<p>

And, Katie was like a machine, during round three; as if inflicted with both Ares' bloodlust and Lyssa's insanity. As the Minotaur swung its mighty fist at her, the brunette ducked skillfully, before catching the beast with a vicious right hook; her haymaker sent the monster off balance, and that was all she needed to land a slash of her sword across its ribs.

It didn't bleed like the furies; but, it got pissed off on a whole other level then the Gorgon of round two. The creature bellowed ferociously—and the sound made even the mightiest warrior's blood run cold—before it swiped its arms wildly at Katie.

The brunette backed away from the Minotaur—putting just enough space between them—before she beckoned the creature over with a whoop. "COME AND GET ME!"

It sure tried. The creature charged at Katie with all its speed and it outstretched its claws. The daughter of Nike hoped it would; smirking as she easily sidestepped it, she slashed its gnarled hands off with one sure slice.

Outside of the cage, Zoe wrapped her fingers around the bars and wire that kept them from assisting Katie—not that she needed it, anyway. An odd look of concentration and sadistic delight on her face; she shouted, "Come on, Knapp, tear him to pieces!"

Sky shared her enthusiasm. Pounding her palms on the fence, she cheered just as ferociously. When Matthew shot her a look, she stopped her vulgar chants. "Just a few more of them to go; and that next round'll start!"

The beast roared in agony—and, Katie thought for a moment that she had delivered a good blow to it—and through a strange twist of fate; the Minotaur's hands grew back!

Katie was caught off guard by its regeneration; but when its talon-like nails cut through the air with a frightening volume, but she was rather unfazed by it—and dodged the swipes with ease.

Back flipping when it roared louder and advanced on her with a speed unusual for its size, the brunette dodged another rogue claw and blocked another with her sword, before landing a sharp kick in the Minotaur's chest.

It didn't stagger this time; instead, it breathed hotly from its bull-like nostrils, before grabbing her leg in its strong grip, (when she reared it back for another powerful kick) and pulled her right from the ground!

Katie gasped at the sudden movement, and kicked the Minotaur's hand with her free foot, as she was hung upside down. The creature growled at her, before gripping her ankle hard, until the bone there snapped!

"AHHH," The daughter of Nike shrieked; as the beast squeezed tighter and tighter onto the damaged area, and struggled that much harder, as her hairline grew wetter and wetter with tears of agony.

The Minotaur eventually got bored with twisting Katie's broken ankle, and it tossed the demigoddess across the enclosure. She hit the bars and wire with a pained sob, and grabbed a tight hold of it to get her breath and bearings. _Damn it, that thing was tougher than she had anticipated!_

Feeling the excruciating throb of her broken ankle throughout her entire leg—her entire body, actually—the brunette tried to calm her labored breathing enough to listen out for the Minotaur. As fate would have it, it was getting ready to charge her.

Katie could hear the rough soles of its feet scraping against the hard earth of the cage loudly in her ears, and the brunette knew that she would have to get up and walk—no, _run _on broken ankle, if she wanted to avoid getting impaled on the beast's sharp horns.

Bracing herself for the almost otherworldly pain, the daughter of Nike waited for the Minotaur to charge. When it did, she wasted no time diving out of the way; its horns scratched her arms, when she threw them out to aid her jump, but the pain was nothing to the agonizing bolts from her leg that brought a cold sweat to the surface of her scratched and bruised skin.

As Katie recovered from her clumsy somersault, the Minotaur nursed its throbbing skull—it had hit the wall pretty hard, and if not for its horns (which were now bent; broken even) it would have cracked its skull clean open.

Katie stood up, as quickly as she could, when she noticed that the beast was recovering. Looking for her sword and spotting it lodged in the earth a little ways across the arena, the brunette's rate of breathing picked up. _She needed to get her weapon!_

Katie gritted her teeth at the impending rush of blinding agony, before she started hopping madly on her wobbly, working-leg towards her blade. When she heard the Minotaur's battle-cry; her hopping turned into a labored limp, and when the ground started trembling under her feet, (signaling that the beast was hot on her trail) Katie felt her heart skip several beats.

Gods and goddesses—don't let him catch her...

As if possessed, Katie found herself diving instinctively to the side—right in time to dodge the rampaging beast. Coughing as she hit the hard dirt, the brunette racked her brain for a plan. She couldn't kill the Minotaur with brute strength; and he apparently was faster than her—what could she do?

Hoisting herself up on her forearms, Katie spit out a lump of blood and mucus. Her vision was blurring, her breathing slowed and labored… Her face stung with icy hot pins and needles. _If this Minotaur was taking a lot out of her, what would Admeta be like?_ _Would she even make it 'till then? _The thought of the beastly woman, and dying before besting her, brought upon an adrenaline rush like no other that shocked Katie's system and numbed the pain in her leg.

The trial wasn't over; she couldn't die like this…! Katie grunted, and forced herself to her knees. Her whole body was stiff from exertion; but with the endorphins flooding through her body, she was blind to the ill sensations.

Gathering her composure, the brunette shakily got to her distressed feet. She had to hold herself together—this extraordinary adrenaline high would wear off soon; and if she didn't take advantage of it, she would spend the remainder of her waking moments being chased by the Minotaur, until she keeled over... or it caught her.

Panting and wheezing like an asthmatic on a mountain top, Katie shook off the nausea that washed over her and started for her weapon. Unbeknownst to the daughter of Nike, the Minotaur had ceased nursing its wounds and started watching her with its beady eyes.

Its black orbs followed the brunette's every movement, and when it noticed that she was headed toward her weapon, the beast growled. Hot breath rushed from its flared nostrils in visible, mucus-filled swells, and the Minotaur forwent the pleasantry of bull-charging Katie, in favor of starting after her sword with its claws outstretched.

Katie gasped, when she saw the Minotaur advancing on her blade at a speed she wished she could've sustained. Damn it—the beast was smart and fast! She had to get to her sword first—or die trying. Pushing her body to its absolute limit, and then some, the brunette ran as hard as she could.

Her feet hit the ground with a tremendous thud—and the pounding rhythm put the audience on edge. No one—not even Adrastos—thought she could outrun the Minotaur to her sword. They were right to doubt her, of course; she had a broken ankle and a wobbly foot, and the beast had long, strong legs.

Sky's—as long as the rest of the audiences'—cry of despair was drowned out by the rumble of conquest the Minotaur let out, when it seized Katie's sword in its massive grip. Hoisting the celestial bronze blade over its head, the beast roared and boasted, before turning its hardened gaze onto Katie.

She had skidded to a halt just a few feet away from the Minotaur, and was beholding the beast and her weapon with furious, bloodshot brown eyes. And, even though the spectators were sure that all was lost, the brunette had a look on her fast that could only be read as smug and satisfied.

The Minotaur grew extremely agitated at the daughter of Nike's complacence, and blew more steamed breath from its nose, as it prepared to wipe the smirk of Katie's face. Craning its head on its thick, heavily-veined neck; so that its small eyes could take in the details and lighting better, the beast lashed out at Katie with her own sword.

The blade swished and sliced through the air, but didn't connect with any part of the demigoddess. The beast growled angrily at this, and swung the sword again, again, and again—each time it missed. Why wasn't the blade working?

Unbeknownst to the Minotaur—its poor depth-perception was why it was missing Katie; it wasn't standing nearly close enough to her. Swinging the sharp weapon one last time, the beast gave up and threw it—which was a bad move on its part.

The blade sailed only a short distance, before Katie caught it by its hilt and swung it around to deliver a lethal slice to the Minotaur's jugular.

The beast sputtered and choked—its hands trembling against the hemorrhaging wound—for several moments, as blood filled and poured from its throat. Soon enough, the Minotaur fell… finally defeated.

The crowd was beside themselves with relief and accomplishment—not even Zoe could hold back her cheers, when she saw (and felt) the Minotaur hit the ground.

"You did it! You did it, Kat!" Sky cheered exuberantly, jumping up and down, as she held onto the cage. The daughter of the Winds beat on the bars of the cage exuberantly, when Katie smiled brightly at her, before turning around and embracing Matthew and Zoe in an awkwardly hug. "She did it, you guys!" The redhead cried jovially, before kissing the bloodied faces of her companions. When they both pushed her off, and wiped her smooches from their cheeks—or, in Matthew's case, _**his lips**_—(Ugh… she kissed him on the mouth!) The daughter of the Winds turned back to Katie; who had just collapsed onto the arena floor.

Adrastos, the cleaning crew, and the Healers rushed into the enclosure, not from the trapdoor, but from a previously unknown opening on the side. The son of Nike hoisted his exhausted half-sister onto his shoulder, before announcing to the crowd, "Our champion is wounded, so we shall take a brief intermission." The audience groaned, and to that, the man glared, "The lot of ya' have been waiting for centuries—what will a few moments do, hmm?"

* * *

><p>By time it was time for round five, Katie had been attended to by the medics and there was hardly a visible scratch on her. She was clean, too, not a drop of blood on her grandiose apparel and armor—and, as she scaled the Cyclops of round five's back despite his struggling, (and with impressive agility, no less) and wrapped her legs around his neck, there was no doubt to anyone that the brunette was fit enough to fight again.<p>

The brunette gritted her teeth, as she held onto the Cyclops with her legs, and when she finally got used to the staccato rhythm of his movements, she was able to decapitate him. It took several mighty slashes of her sword, (he had a big neck, give her a break) and the sound was almost as sickening, as the shock her arms received when her blade struck the Cyclops' neck over and over again.

Adrastos felt the hollow of his ribcage, where his mortal heart once rested, tighten with admiration and pride, as he watched the giant's head roll off and tumble to the ground.

The one-eyed beast's lifeless body followed after the severed head, and Katie rode the corpse all the way down to avoid injury.

When they both landed, the hall shook with the Cyclops' weight, and the crowd roared louder than they had before. "Let this be etched in those shoddy history books of yours', darling—our young champion, Kathryn, is the first woman to best the Cyclops." One of the spectral attendees boasted, her ghostly countenance holding many expressions; but, her pride was most visible.

The shadow of a man sitting beside her (presumably her late-husband) folded his arms and scowled. "She has the grace of the gods on her side. If any other woman was to attempt this; her remains would be thrown out in a pail, with the stale water."

Zoe glowered; throwing a heated glance over her shoulders at the ghost sitting behind her. It was one thing that she could hear them, as far back as they were sitting; but it was another annoying thing completely that they had to start arguing about gender. "Mortal man or woman; they'd be dead and gone before they even got here. Now, the both of you ougtha shut the hell up, before I make you."

The ghostly couple quickly quieted down at her command; and well enough, as round six was beginning.

The cleaners were barely down the trapdoor, when Adrastos was announcing the last combatant. "Admeta is approaching—the crowd would do best not to make any sudden movements or noise. We do not wish to excite her; as, after all, she is strong enough to break the cage." The spectral audience laughed at the son of Nike's joke, but Matthew somehow felt less tickled by the notion that the beast could kill him and his lot, if she so chose.

The excitement and anxiety in the air was electric—almost palpable—and Matthew didn't even need to look, to know that the ghosts that filled the amphitheater were on the very edge of their stone benches.

Casting his emerald gaze to Zoe; he saw that the ravenette was still tearing into her red vines. Her teeth were still a little red from the blood she unintentionally swallowed, and with the added redness of the candy, it didn't seem like her pearly whites would _ever_ be white again.

From Zoe, Matthew's attention drifted over to Sky—she was jittery and excited; the usual, annoying way she was… but, there was just something about her—her aura, he guessed, that was off. He couldn't put his finger on what was unusual—but, it seemed to him, as though demigoddess was… glowing?

Unusual or not; Sky seemed not to notice her apparent glow, but the intense green eyes on her. Her turquoise eyes looked sharper, more jewel-like than ever before, as she met Matthew's gaze. "You're going to miss out on the final round, if you keep glaring at me like that." She said with deliberate slowness, flexing and shaping her lips to match the words that left them.

Matthew found his eyes glued to Sky's mouth, (_that annoying mouth she used to berate and kiss him_) and he glared harder. "Unlike you, I can pay attention to both."

"Oh, so suddenly, you're interested in moi?" The daughter of the Winds batted her eyelashes, "Well, Little Miss Sunshine—you might be a looker, but guys who are totally jerks just aren't my type."

Matthew's face contorted into something that looked like a pained smirk—or, an amused grimace. "They aren't my type either and neither are you. But, ya' know, I've never seen you fawn over anyone other than Katie; you sure you don't play on the same side of the field?"

Sky balked, but before she could make a comeback, Katie was hitting the flat side of her sword on her breastplate. The redhead looked over, wondering why the daughter of Nike was causing such a ruckus; even though Adrastos had just advised everyone not to. She got her answer soon enough.

Standing within the arena with the brunette was Admeta. She was tall, bulky, ugly, and menacing—just like Aléxandros explained; however, the godling seemed to have left out that the beast was blind. Which was why Katie was making noise; she was trying to get Admeta's attention.

"I'm over here, you fat hamburger!" The daughter of Nike taunted, clacking her weapon to her armor even louder to get the beast-woman's attention.

Admeta sniffed the air, but couldn't exactly pinpoint where Katie was standing. Growling in an obvious show of her frustration, the she-bull lifted her cleaver high above her head before bringing it down in a powerful swing. The great knife it the ground with such great force that the whole auditorium shook.

All of the patrons, dead and alive, panicked, as they felt the violent tremors seize the entire area. Zoe wasn't surprised if the demigods upstairs could feel the quake—it was just that strong—and the ravenette definitely wasn't surprised when Katie (who stood only a mere ten feet away from Admeta and her cleaver) couldn't keep her footing and fell hard onto her back.

The brunette gasped, as the wind escaped from her lungs, and Admeta's head snapped over to the demigoddess' sprawled out form. _Dumb as a box of rocks…? Oh, Aléxandros, you totally sold the beast short,_ Katie thought, sitting up hastily, as the ground thundered and trembled under her with each heavy step of Admeta's.

The creature was fast approaching; if her footfall was anything to go by, and Katie was not about to be bludgeoned to death by that over-sized butcher-knife of hers'. Rocking onto her back, and building up a little bit of momentum, the brunette kicked her legs out in front of her, and swung herself upright.

Once on her feet, Katie was easily able to cartwheel out of the way of Admeta's swinging cleaver. As long as she didn't let the she-bull catch her off guard, the daughter of Nike should be able to best Admeta with ease.

Atleast, that's what the daughter of Nike thought—and then she found herself in a sword-to-cleaver deadlock. She had been doing such a good job evading Admeta; until the beast-woman swung her cleaver at her, and all Katie could do to avoid it was to block the blow with her own sword.

_Admeta was stronger than she looked, and then some_, Katie should've remembered that; but, since she didn't, she now stood with her back against the cage, and her arms pinned painfully against her chest, as she struggled to keep the she-bull's cleaver from slicing her into two bloody halves.

Gods and Goddesses, why did this keep happening—how did she keep getting caught by these creatures? Gritting her teeth, as Admeta pushed her large weapon closer to Katie's neck, the daughter of Nike carefully moved one of her hands from the handle of her sword, and gripped straight onto the flat side of her blade; so that she could better hold Admeta off.

With Admeta's every push, Katie found her grip on her sword tightening—so much so that her fingers began to bleed. By the time this was over, if the brunette was still alive, she might as well have lost all of her fingers on her right hand.

Scowling at the thought, the daughter of Nike tried to find her inner strength. The determination that kept her from collapsing during the fight with the Minotaur; the energy that kept her on her toes with the Harpies; the agility that aided her in slaying the Cyclops; and the wit that made killing the Gorgon possible.

She found it—that unexplainable strength—when the blood stopped thrumming in her ears long enough for her to hear Sky's and Zoe's cheering. The urge to impress them was strong, and when she heard Matthew—(Yeah, that stoic, stick in the mud, Matthew)—call out to her using her first name, Katie found the power to push Admeta off.

The beast-woman stumbled back, equally as shocked as Katie by the demigoddess' newfound strength—and in the process of flailing; Admeta lost her grip on her weapon. The cleaver flew from her grip, and embedded itself in the bars above the daughter of Nike's head. The laurel that was woven into her hair had the misfortune of sticking out a little too much; so as a penalty, it was cut in half by the mighty blade.

_That surely was a close call, _Katie thought, running her bleeding fingers to her hair to feel for the damaged head-wear. She was breathing so hard, that it couldn't even be deemed as panting.

Admeta huffed, and once she got her footing, it was on. Advancing on Katie (who didn't move a muscle) the she-bull was prepared to reclaim her weapon, so that she could end the brunette.

Her large, hairy arm was reaching right above Katie's head, when the daughter of Nike struck. It was quick and clean, the stab she delivered to Admeta's face; and the crowd gasped when the blade pierced the back of the mighty beast-woman's head. The gasp turned into muted sounds of horror, when Admeta fell forward onto Katie and knocked the teen into the enclosure's wall, behind her.

Adrastos wasn't kidding when he said Admeta was strong enough to break the cage. The whole side of the thing gave way under hers' and Katie's weight, and for a moment, all thought the daughter of Nike perished under the she-bull, when they landed on the ground in a messy heap.

"Calm yourselves." Adrastos glowered at the crowd, "you all are _the_ most anxious shades I've ever had the misfortune of entertaining." Ambling over to the broken side of the cage, the son of Nike (aided by the healers) rolled Admeta's body over just enough to be able to grab and pull Katie out from under her.

The brunette was bruised and batted, but was alive enough for the medics efforts not to go to waste. "I did it…" Katie mumbled deliriously, as Adrastos held her slack body against his.

"Yes, dear sister, you did." The son of Nike said appraisingly, before handing her off to those who would take care of her. Looking onto the crowd, Adrastos grinned haughtily, "For the first time, since the great Basilio, the trial has been completed!"

The onlookers roared, clapping and stamping their feet in excitement and victory. Sky was celebrating right along with them, as she and the other demigods were guided, by Adrastos, back to the dressing room they had come in from, via the trapdoor that the cleaning staff were so fond of.

Once back in the safety of the dank room, Sky embraced Katie—who looked no worse for wear, but reeked of putrid death. "Let me just say, _**'holy crap, Kat! That was amazing!' **_I didn't know you had it in you, and I'm so sorry for doubting you!"

The daughter of Nike wrapped one of her arms around Sky, and used the other to beckon everyone else over—(when they didn't move, she glared at them until they did.)

Hugging her companions strongly, the brunette sobbed in a mixture of relief and happiness, as the wraith-like power that kept her pushing on, drained from her body and left her absolutely exhausted.

Her tears stained the already blood-soaked fabric of Sky's shirt, and the redhead couldn't stop herself from going misty-eyed. It must have been an intense experience; this trial, for Katie to fall apart like she was.

They all stood in their huddle for what felt like hours, until Adrastos broke them apart and embraced Katie. "You did well—honored on bloodline. I'm… proud of you." He sounded awkward; but at the same time, friendly and genuinely satisfied.

When the children of Nike separated, Katie wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, before giving Adrastos a watery smile, "Give me my clothes back. We have to go."

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: The wise and the dead – challenge six.<strong>

**Preview: **

**Artemis' arrow, given its supernatural properties, was unlike any projectile. The barb was forged in the flames of Olympus by Hephaestus himself, and made with the intent to kill whatever it struck—be it mortal or immortal.**

**Within the celestial metal, was a toxin—a toxin that changed composition and potency upon coming into contact with its intended victim, to induce maximum pain and lethality.**

**The thing about the arrow was that; no matter who it hit and no matter how they tended to the wound, (if they could get the hobnailed shaft out of their skin, without killing themselves) the toxin would bring upon their end, well enough.**

**So, when Atlanta released the arrow from her bow with a wicked smirk painted on her face, she knew right then; before it even it her intended target, that they were as good as dead.**

**The brunette choked out a bloody gasp, as the arrow tore through the vital organs in his abdomen, and caused major internal bleeding on a momentous scale—and he lost his balance, and fell onto his knees. Shaking and trembling, as his body grew cold and numb, he looked up to the daughter of Artemis, "Why?" Was his pained question—his famous last words, if you will—as red and gore poured from his stomach wound.**

**Atlanta's wicked smile widened and she advanced on the poor soul, before ripping the arrow out as violently as possible. "Because, I can…" was her vicious reply.**


End file.
